“That’s enough for now,” Nagi said, his voice gentle.
“Turn me around so I can see through the back window,” Brother Al pleaded.“I want to see the people’s faces.”
Nagi nodded indulgently, and he and Eddie began to shift him.
“Everyone is so beautiful,” Brother Al said, exultantly.
3.
“Okay.Rest stop,”Vic said.“There’s a gas station a few miles ahead.Now I don’t want to alarm anyone.But the astrological timing right now is kind of perilous.Mercury is in Retrograde.Normally it’s a pretty beneficial planet, but communication gets all wonky.Issues crop up with transportation.That sort of thing.”
I leaned over to Vic.
“Come on,” I said.“This is past the point of homage.At this point it’s plagiarism.He’ll have to know sooner or later.”
“He’s four hundred years old, at least, and still thinks the telegram was the peak of ingenuity,” Vic said.“He didn’t see it.I know he didn’t.”
“See what?”Brother Al asked.“I’m old and nearly dead, not deaf.”
Vic and I locked eyes, and I opened my mouth.
“There was a sign on the road a-ways back,” I stammered.“Something about a place called Hardesty House Bed, Breakfast, and Barbeque.”
“Please tell me we’re not staying in human accommodations,” Brother Al said.“You know I have nothing against humans or their lodgings.But if I have to roost in a dark closet for the weekend, I will not be a very happy creature.”
“That’s what we were worried about,” Vic said.“We didn’t want you to get the wrong idea.But you love the countryside so much.We just wanted to make sure you saw enough of it.”
“I’d rather stay in a dank cave,” Brother Al muttered.
“What were you saying about Mercury?”Eddie asked.
“Mmmm, yeah,” Vic said.“It’s retrograde.It’s just easy to get into conflict and completely misunderstand a situation.Once in Canada, I spent a whole Mercury Retrograde being stalked by a mean-tempered flying squirrel and a moose.”
“Seriously?”I hissed.
“I have heard of that story before,” Brother Al said.“Perhaps.Perhaps it was written down at one point and illustrated.I seem to remember a picture book…”
“Let’s go already,” Eddie said.
We pulled evenwith the curb.Eddie and I got out and stretched our legs.Nagi wore his Lady Gaga headdress and cowl and started taking landscape pictures of the highway.Brother Al, face twisted and gaunt, stared out the window at us.
Vic, a thick layer of white cream smeared on his nose and face, tipped his sunglasses at us as he got out and popped his back.
“Okay team.I’m going inside to pay.See if they have anything less conspicuous for Nagi to disguise himself with.You want anything when I’m inside?”
“Some beer,” Eddie said.
“You can’t drink,” I said.
“It’s for Hardesty House,” Eddie said.“If we’re going to enjoy ourselves.May as well really enjoy ourselves while we’re there.It’s been a while since I’ve had a drink.And if we meet any cool people, beer’s always helpful to make friends.”
“I don’t have my license on me,” Vic said.
“You’re literally the driver,” I said.
Vic shrugged.
“What are they going to do, arrest me?”he asked.“Someone stop Nagi before he makes himself any more conspicuous.Those two ‘nam vets near the radio look like they might try something.”
