"Augustus said he can better channel the location of the money if you're all on the ground,” I said, going along with the madness.
Mickey stared into the lizard's eyes. Perhaps theywerecommunicating telepathically. "That's not what Augustus said.”
"What did he say?" I asked, indulging him.
"The frequencies are better up here. More direct. Less interference.”
“The frequencies are pretty damn good on the sky deck of the Avventura. A lot better than they are here."
Mickey considered it for a moment. He consulted with the lizard. “No. Augustus says we stay here.”
How was I supposed to argue with the wisdom of a lizard?
Another gust of wind swirled. Angry clouds rumbled in the distance.
“Mickey, it’s going to get pretty nasty. Let’s get down before the storm hits.”
"I'm not afraid of a little rain," Mickey said.
"It's going to be more than just rain. It's heavy winds, and this roof is going to get slippery. Would it be totally outrageous if we all just got off the roof and talked about this in the lantern house?"
Mickey considered it for a moment, then consulted with Augustus. He looked out over the horizon at the approaching storm. Mickey steeled his resolve and stood like a king who was about to lead his army into battle. "The storm has been sent to test our resolve. An opportunity to prove our worthiness.” With a defiant fist, he proclaimed, "We must not back down. We must not go quietly. With every last breath, we will fight the storm of chaos!”
I stifled an eye-roll and gave him a flat look, at my wits’ end.
The storm drew closer, and the crowd larger. Patrol cars lined the street below, red and blue lights flashing. Helicopters continued to circle.
If Mickey wasn't careful, he'd wind up in custody when he finally did come down. We didn't have time for that. I was sure I could pull a few strings to keep him from getting thrown in the pokey overnight, but it was a hassle I’d rather not deal with.
I moved to Flynn and took a seat beside him. “Can you talk some sense into him?”
Flynn seemed to be handling his high much better than Mickey. "Sometimes you just gotta ride the wave, go with the flow, let the Universe be your mojo."
I sighed and gave him another annoyed look.
"Don't shoot the messenger. It's not my fault you’re not ready to receive the message. You have to let go. There are some things beyond your control.”
There were a lot of things beyond my control. But I didn’t view life as a passive participant. I took an active part in shaping outcomes. But Flynn may have been right about this situation. Neither was in their rational mind. I’m not sure they were ever in their rational minds, but they were beyond all reason at this point. Perhaps I just needed to let the situation play out.
The wind picked up again as the storm drew near. The angry sky turned dark. Lightning flashed in the distance, and a few seconds later, a crack of thunder rumbled, quaking the tall tower.
If that crack wasn't enough to put the fear of God into you, nothing was, especially at this height.
"If you're looking for a sign from God,” I shouted to Mickey, "I think that was it."
Mickey ignored me and remained transfixed, staring eye to eye with the Lizard King.
Rain fell, slow at first. Before long, it was pouring. Sheets of water flowed down the steep roof. The wind intensified. It was a precarious position.
Mickey stood strong among it all, still clutching the iguana, who remained calm and docile.
Another bolt of lightning hit a tree not far from the lighthouse. It split the trunk. A massive branch came crashing down. It crackled and popped. Leaves fluttered.
The boom from the thunder hit like a cannon, loud enough to stop your heart.
The glass panes of the lantern house rumbled. The structure shook. The ground quaked.
Despite the weather, onlookers below kept their eyes glued atop the lighthouse, necks bent toward the sky. This was a show they weren’t about to miss.
