Sky Pirates

Chapter 45

"Would you care to join us for breakfast?" Parker Greene stood to greet his guest.

"No, thank you. I ate hours ago. It's nearly lunch." Ablest Currant looked from Greene to the food on the table to Rifle Helms. "What is he doing here?"

Without hesitation, Parker pointed to his friend, "We've known each other for years. I was walking down the grand avenue yesterday afternoon and was so surprised to see him there."

"And, you invited him to breakfast?" Ablest asked. His shoulders rolled forward, his chin dropped down to his chest for a moment. He sighed, as if ready to cry, but then quickly recovered, squared his shoulders, and looked Parker Greene in the eye.

"What can I do for you this morning?" Greene sat back down, leaving Currant standing awkwardly. Parker sipped from his coffee cup and then turned his attention back to his plate of food. In that moment, he'd made the choice. Flirting with Ablest Currant had been fun, but Rifle was back in his life now. One man was plenty for anyone.

"You have a week."

"For what?" Parker asked through a mouthful of ham steak.

"To choose all the useful plans, especially the weapons. And, then you have another week to build all that you can as examples. Your life depends on there being helpful tools and new weapons for the Balsa Robin. It will return in ten days, be refurbished and outfitted with the latest you've found, and head back out." Currant picked up a piece of thick, crisp bacon and took a bite.

"Two weeks? Impossible!" Greene stood again. "Some of those inventions, well, we'll have to create tools to build them. I don't..."

"Two weeks." He ate the rest of the bacon. "It's obvious you haven't seen the workshop." Ablest turned to Helms and smiled. Rifle ignored the man. "Your friend works there. After your breakfast he can give you a tour." Currant looked once more at the two men, eating, and then turned quickly and left.

"What was all of that about?" Greene asked. "You were silent."

Rifle turned to Parker and looked him square in the eye. "Ablest and I, well, we had a brief relationship. It was just after I answered the question. He'd, well, persuaded me..."

"I understand." Greene thought back to the almost-kiss he'd had while imprisoned in the cabin.

"Really? Just like that?"

"Don't look so...however it is you look. We're not married. We've both done things over the past few years...listen to us, like two old married...finish your breakfast and take me to this workshop."

Rifle turned back to his food, satisfied. He scooped big forkfuls of eggs and pancakes into his mouth while speaking. "The workshop. Wait 'till you see this place."

Parker Greene and Rifle Helms, with hats and walking sticks, strode down the grand avenue together. Rifle waved this way and that at others who offered greetings on the street and from their verandas.

"You seem to know everyone," Parker remarked.

"It doesn't take long. This is an island of busybodies. Us taking this walk together is confirming all your neighbors' thoughts that you are queer. They all know that we spent the night together. You can tell from some of their looks that they're imagining what it is two men might do together in bed."

Greene laughed. "I'm still trying to figure that out, too."

"Always happy to help with your exploration of the male anatomy."

"You're in a good mood." Greene was aware his own step had a spark to it, too.

"I'm so glad we're together again. I've missed having someone I can trust and love in my life. I've missed comfortable moments over meals. I've missed you."

Greene stopped and Rifle did the same, turning to him. Without warning, Parker pulled Helms to him and kissed his friend hard on the mouth. Somewhere nearby a neighbor or passerby let out a catcall.

Rifle didn't pull away, but when the kiss ended, he said in a whisper, "It's one thing for everyone to know what happened with us, it's something else to show them. You can still be hung on this island for what we did last night...hell, for what we just did on the street. We don't need to change the world here, just defeat it."

It was the first mention of taking down the pirates. Over the past few hours, Greene had decided to trust Rifle, no matter what the outcome of that decision meant. It would be better to go down loving someone than never trusting anyone again. And, his statement of desire to defeat their captors cinched the deal. He felt desperate to be alone with Helms, not only to enjoy his body, but to share with him the plan that had been brewing for several days. But, there wasn't time now.

"Here we are."

They'd arrived at the avenue's end, the water's edge. It was at the fully opposite end as how he'd entered this island with the Governor. Rifle pressed the lever, the ground opened, and a platform appeared. Without prompting, Greene stepped upon the platform, Helms followed. Another shift of the lever and they began to descend underground.

Amazed by the technology around him, Greene remained silent as his eyes adjusted to the dim electric lights and the damp air. He knew, as they left the lift and walked forward, that they were now under the ocean. The walls here were pressed with sea shells. This tunnel wasn't as well kept or comfortable as the others he'd experienced. But, it was bigger, much wider, much taller.

They traveled with only the crunch of their feet on a mixture of shell and stone. Both silent. Had too much been shared or said? No, it was what was coming next. The anticipation of this workshop silenced Greene. Again, they reached a dead end. They turned 180 degrees.

Helms hit a lever. "Just wait."

Greene loved how excited his friend was. A buzz grew louder and louder as the lift rose. Finally, they emerged into the middle of a raucous, busy workshop. This wasn't a mere, dark room with a few benches. No, this was the largest room Parker Greene had ever seen. Hundreds and hundreds of dwarfs, mostly men, worked at fantastical projects and inventions. It reminded Greene of something. Suddenly, the room around him grew silent, all eyes turned toward him. Santa's workshop. It's the vision he'd always had. Everyone was dressed differently. Instead of red and green, some wore elaborate plumes and great coats, others sported grey dusters covering overalls. But, to a man, they were all dwarfs. And, as he and Rifle stepped off the platform, he felt like Santa, as each small man offered him a bow or head nod.

One of the men, older than the rest, a pencil behind his ear, rushed up to him. "Lord Greene, we're so pleased you have come to visit us. We are great admirers of your work and inventions. We are great friends to you." He bowed deeply, still clutching Greene's hands.

Parker couldn't help but notice he, like the small women, wore the sharp, pointed ring. "Thank you," he offered, dumbfounded.

"We are at your service, sir. We know that you will be bringing us new plans and we are to build them as quickly as possible. Anything you desire, we can create. We might be small, but our little creative army is powerful."

"I have no doubt."

"My name is Nate, Nathanial Butler by birth. Not the famous sea captain, sadly. Don't have the height for that job." He laughed good naturedly. "Whatever you desire, Sir, come to me and I'll assign it to the best man for the job. I've been here twenty years now. I'm in charge when there isn't another to be in charge. I know every nook, cranny, and conversation that happens here."

"Well, it's good to meet you, Nate. Good to know you." Parker looked into the man's eyes and liked what he saw. There were messages shared in that moment that had nothing to do with words or language. He knew...well, that knowing would be handy later.

"This," said Rifle," is the Workshop."

Rifle and Parker, led by Nate, spent the afternoon on a tour of the benches and projects. Parker took note of anything that would fit well in his own plan, beyond knowing that he not only had an army of women, but a sizable army of little men to add to his growing idea. Life was getting better and better.

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