“Three Higher Powers,” Shitty Ritchie reminded us. “That means that Tom Hanks and Cheese Dick are missing a third person.”
“Awesome,” I muttered.
“Not,” Candy Vargo snarled.
“Agreed,” I replied, ready to scream. “So, what the heck are we looking for next? Alana Catherine, Jennifer and Cheese Dick or the mysterious other part of the Higher Power? What happens if we choose the wrong path and everything freaking blows up?”
Gideon growled. The sound was ominous and frightening. A dark energy crackled in the air and a red haze began to dance angrily though the colorful wild flowers. The Grim Reaper looked like he was about to go full-on Demon. His eyes spit red sparks his fury at the situation was barely contained. Small, searingly hot fires began to pop up on the ground around him. We were far too close to the subject to be rational about anything. It was crazy hard to be reasonable with our daughter involved. However, rationality was what we needed. It could be the difference between success and failure.
Shitty Ritchie, Tim and even Candy Vargo took a few steps back from Gideon and the flaming grass. The Grim Reaper was living up to his name.
Without a shred of fear, I walked right through the fire and over to the man I loved. I cupped his cheek in my hand and stared into his blood red eyes. I felt his tension. It vibrated through my body. The Demon was wound tight and about toerupt. I needed him to rein it in. “Not now,” I whispered calmly. “Not yet, Gideon. You have to tamp it back. Immediately. Hold that anger until we need it. Alana Catherine is counting on us. She needs us to keep our heads on straight.”
The Grim Reaper inhaled deeply then shuddered violently as he released his rage. The fires disappeared as quickly as they’d started and his eyes slowly lost their bloody hue. It wasn’t his norm to back down. However, love was so much stronger than hate.
After his breathing regulated, Gideon took my hand in his and kissed my palm. “I love you.”
“I love you more,” I told him. “Stay with me. Stay present. Don’t let anything—especially emotions—cloud your judgement. We have too much to lose.”
“It won’t happen again,” he promised. “You have my word. My apologies, love.”
“No. No apologies,” I said, melting a little as I leaned into his body. “Just stay with me.”
“Always,” he replied, wrapping his arms around me. “Always.”
After a second, we let go of each other, and I turned to the others and nodded. Tim stepped forward.
“Let’s go over what we can define, in the literal sense,” Tim suggested. “While we’re aware that there is most likely a third part of the former Higher Power, it’s somewhat abstract at the moment. I’d suggest sticking to what we’ve seen and experienced thus far.”
“Shitty Ritchie agrees!” he announced. “BUT I would like to point out that my new arm and leg are getting smaller. This is BULLSHIT.” He turned to Candy Vargo in a tizzy. “Do you think that if I get Fonzie’s pecker put on that it would shrink as well?”
Candy Vargo’s eyes narrowed to slits. Shitty Ritchie took about ten steps back.
“Maybe we should discuss the enlargement of my junk later?” Shitty Ritchie squeaked.
“Absolutely,” I said in my outdoor voice. “Or never.” I pointed at Tim. “Please keep going.”
“Of course, friend,” he said. “The dictionary defines vengeance as a punishment inflicted or retribution exacted for an injury or a perceived wrong.”
“Keep talkin’ Timmy,” Candy said, still giving a very quiet Shitty Ritchie the evil eye. “Define compassion.”
“Will do,” he replied. “Compassion is sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.”
“And logic?” Gideon pressed.
Tim nodded. “Logic is the reasoning conducted according to the strict principles of validity or you could also say that logic is the quality of being justifiable by reason.”
“The other point that the Fonzies and Mikes belabored was the fact that all of them—vengeance, compassion and logic—will lose on their own,” I said.
“Cryptic motherfuckers,” Candy Vargo hissed.
I didn’t bother to point out that all of the Immortals were like that, including her. It would not help the situation at all. All of the Fonzies, Sullys, Mikes and dwarfs had been fixated on the trio of vengeance, compassion and logic. They basically beat us over the head with it. It obviously meant something—something important.
“I’m lost,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s a puzzle and I don’t get it.”
Candy Vargo removed the toothpicks from her mouth and didn’t replace them. Highly unusual. “It’s the way it rolls for us,” she said flatly in a tired voice. “I don’t like it. Never have. But that don’t matter. Here’s what I do know, I’m too fuckin’ old to pretend I understand somethin’ when I don’t. That’ll fuck you up, people. I don’t know what the threes mean yet, other thanthat the Higher Power is supposed to be three people. I don’t know what logic, vengeance and compassion have to do with the number three yet, but I’ll tell you this… I’ll fuckin’ figure it out.”
Tim examined his notes. “Hang on,” he said, rereading what he’d written. “I have a thought.”
