The Saviors of Mankind

Chapter 19

Volodya's truck was moving slowly in their direction, down Ulitsa Chekova, when Cliff and Hyuna got to the intersection up at the main drag. They waved, and the truck started to slow down.

I love the taste of Russian hot chocolate in the morning, Cliff sent. They walked closer to the truck, which had stopped by the side of the road.

The clouds up ahead, Hyuna sent, indicating the massive dark clouds looming over the horizon at the far end of the street, down by Gorod-Krepost. They look... kind of ominous.

Foreboding, even, Cliff sent in agreement. Almost like some kind of symbol.

Possibly a symbol.... of DOOM, Hyuna mused.

When they came around the side of the truck and could see the happy troll with the chocolate mug, they noticed that Volodya was reaching into some sort of compartment in the dashboard up front.

What's he doing? Cliff sent.

It's called a 'glove compartment', Hyuna sent. When people drove 'cars', they used to keep things in them.

Volodya pulled a long, dark cylindrical object from the glove compartment and scooted over to the service window.

"You not come my home," he said in Russian. "And now..."

He inched back a bit into the darkness of the truck's interior and turned on the flashlight he was holding. It cast a creepy shadow under his chin and lit up his grinning teeth and the whites of his bulging eyes.

"Now," he grinned, "it is.... Too late! Toooooo late! Tooooo LATE!"

"Why, Volodya?" Cliff cried out. "Why is it too late?"

He doesn't speak English, Hyuna sent. Then she repeated Cliff's questions in Russian.

Volodya emitted a creepy chuckle that was really halfway between a cackle and a guffaw. "Tooooo late!" he chanted. "Toooo late! Tooooooo late!"

"This is ridiculous," Cliff said. "And tell him the flashlight is creepy."

Hyuna said something in Russian. Volodya laughed. He turned off the flashlight, put it down, and disappeared for a few seconds. Then he popped up again, right there in the window, so suddenly that it gave Cliff a jump scare and he yelled out.

Volodya was holding a full balloon. He smiled as he raised it to his lips and inhaled. "Tooooooo LATE!" he cried out in a scary high-pitched voice. "Toooooooo LATE! Tooooooo LATE!" Then he laughed, sounding like a demonic mouse.

"Helium," Cliff said, clapping a palm to his forehead. "That's even worse."

This sucks, Hyuna sent. I really wanted to try the chocolate with five-spice.

I know, right? Cliff sent. Five-spice makes chocolate so much more delicious.

We better go, Hyuna sent. I don't think he's in the mood to serve us.

She concentrated and turned her purse into the silver rod. Then she tapped it and nothing happened. She tapped it again. Still nothing.

Remember to get in the zone, Cliff sent. Focus like we did when the Sea-Lords whomped the Triggerfish at the end of the fifth choonga.

She did. The rod morphed into her Athena costume, and she made the swarmbots lift her and Cliff up in the air.

I mean, have you ever had one of those 'Naga Bars' with the curry powder and the coconut flakes? Cliff sent as they flew over to the Walled City. Those are so good.