He laughed, and it was a different laugh, at least for him—a genuine, happy sort of laugh. “I shouldn’t have done that. It belied—” he faltered, as if not sure he should say the words “—the respect I might have for you.” He turned toward the door but paused, glancing back at the puzzle pieces scattered on the table. “Palazzo Barberini. You said you wanted to go?”
Aida hesitated, her heart speeding up as she considered the outcome of the offer. But to say no would bring questions that she couldn’t answer. “You really don’t have to go through the trouble.”
“Consider it a favor,” he said with a small smile. “Friends do that, right?” He gave her a final look, one that was more curious than anything else, before sauntering toward the door.
When the calm from the aegis dissipated and the throbbing of her heart rose to take its place, she took a deep breath, trying to puzzle out what had just happened.
What did it mean to be friends with a god like Momus?
24
May 2020
After Mo had gone, Aida went to her office and printed out a grocery permission slip, then donned her mask and grabbed her coat. She texted Yumi on the way. She was stopped once, not far from the palazzo, but after a check of her papers she was free to go, with the admonishment not to go anywhere but the store.
It was an admonishment Aida promptly ignored. Before she reached Yumi’s building, she masked her location on her MODA phone for the first time in months. Yumi buzzed her in, and to her great relief, she didn’t see anyone in the hallways who might have noticed this stranger who shouldn’t be there.
She collapsed into Yumi’s arms the second the door closed.
“Oh my god, a hug!” her friend exclaimed, holding her tight. “I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed this. But you’re brave, stopping here.”
Aida shrugged. “I can afford the fine.”
“Heh, we should have done this ages ago then.” She sobered. “But what’s going on? You look worried.”
“I am. Something really weird just happened with Mo.”
Yumi raised an eyebrow. “Let me get the wine. It sounds like we’ll need it.”
After clinking together their glasses of rosé, Aida explained Mo’s out-of-character behavior.
Yumi leaned back on the couch, eyes wide with interest. “So,let me get this straight. Mo—your cryptic, cynical employer—decided to just sit next to you and, what... attempt a friendly conversation?”
Aida nodded, sighing. “Exactly. And I can’t tell if it was genuine or some sort of ploy. He’s never been that... well, not exactly kind, but almost... normal with me.”
“Whoa. This might be an opportunity. If he’s sympathetic to you, he may be more likely to turn against his siblings.”
Aida bit her lip, considering Yumi’s words. “Maybe. It didn’t feel manipulative this time. But I’m wary. I have to believe that heissomeone who always has a motive. Even if it’s not apparent immediately. He said as much at the beginning of the conversation.”
Yumi nodded. “Yeah, but maybe this is him learning to act without an agenda. Maybe gods can change?”
Aida looked down at her glass, swirling the wine thoughtfully. “It’s just strange. Why now? Why me? He’s had centuries to find a friend.”
“Maybe you’re the first person who’s treated him like a human being. You dish it back to him. I mean, everyone else is afraid of him, or they’re working with him for their own gain. You’ve stayed honest. That probably counts for more than you realize. You might just be the one to teach him what it’s like to have a real friend. And hey, if it goes well, that’s one less immortal on your case, right?”
Aida laughed despite herself. “I doubt it’s that simple. But who knows?”
Palazzo Barberini was a thirty-minute walk across the city center. Aida was stopped twice by Carabinieri, but when she showed them the permission slip that Trista had given her, they quickly apologized and let her go on her way. At the door to the museum, she was surprised to find Mo there, waiting with Felix. Despite his mask obscuring half his face, Aida could tell her friend was not happy.
“Nice of you to join us,” Mo said. He knocked on the door and a few seconds later it swung wide to let them in. A slender woman with a mask and gloves instructed them not to touch anything and to leave their masks on. Immediately after she disappeared, Mo tore his off.
“Dreadful things. I know they save lives, but mine sure as hell doesn’t need saving.”
Felix muttered something about putting other people’s lives in danger.
Mo guffawed. “Worry not, you beastly little man. I’m needed back in London, and I’ll be taking my maskless self right back out that door.”
“It was nice of you to meet us here,” Aida said to break the tension. She had hoped his earlier friendliness might continue, but perhaps that didn’t extend to other humans. “I wasn’t expecting to see you.”
