64: After the Game

Alex, Derek and the others poured out of the Gray Whaler several hours later into the early evening with Alex grousing.

"I can’t believe the Patriots lost by four points," he exclaimed in disgust. "They should’ve made that last touchdown."

Derek, Jack and their other friends just grinned. "Just the way it goes, my friend," Jack said without any sympathy.

Findalaurë, along with Calandil and Elennen, came out with them, their expressions somewhat troubled. "This game appeareth rather... violent," Findalaurë ventured somewhat hesitantly.

Derek snorted in amusement. "You think that was violent, wait until you watch ice hockey."

"Rugby, Australian Rules," Alex added. "Now that’s violent."

"What’s so special about Australian Rules?" George Calhoun asked.

Alex gave him an amused look. "That’s just it. Australian Rules means there aren’t any or, at least, the rules are way different from what you see in England or elsewhere."

"Well, what do you expect from Aussies?" someone retorted. "They’re an odd bunch, anyway."

"Amen," several of them said fervently.

The three ellyn just looked more bemused than ever. Alex just smiled. "Don’t worry about it. Did you enjoy the game?"

"It was difficult to understand the rules," Calandil offered, "but I could see that everyone was having a good time even if their team did not win."

"And that’s all that matters," Derek said, clapping his hand familiarly on Calandil’s shoulder, much to the Elf’s surprise. "Now, do we go back to the Academy for dinner, or do we hang out here?"

Several of the Mortals indicated they were ready to go back to the college for dinner, but Alex suggested that he, Derek and the three ellyn go to the café. "It’s Sunday," he said. "I’m not ready to go back to the Academy just yet."

Derek agreed and soon they were parting from the others, wishing them a good evening as they headed across town on foot, for the café was only a couple of blocks from the tavern. The night was cold and the two Mortals huddled in their coats while the three ellyn strolled along seemingly unconcerned by the weather, gazing about with interest at the different shops, all closed up for the night. Soon they reached the town center and saw the café lights shining brightly across the square and quickly made their way inside.

Being a Sunday evening, the café was not all that crowded and they were able to find a large booth. A waitress came over and set glasses of water on the table, announcing that the night’s blue plate special was goulash with garlic bread and a side salad. Both Derek and Alex decided that’s what they would have and, not knowing what else to order, the three ellyn ordered the same thing, deciding to let the two Mortals choose the type of dressing for the salad, not entirely sure what was meant by that. They all ordered coffee for their drinks and then sat for awhile in silence, each lost in his own thoughts.

When the waitress came back several minutes later with their dinner, Alex watched in amusement as the three ellyn stared at the bowls filled with macaroni, ground beef, diced tomatoes and green peppers that had been baked with a grated cheese crust. They watched carefully as Alex and Derek poured their Italian dressing from small cups that had come with the salads and imitated them. All also had a couple of slices of garlic bread sopping with melted butter. Alex and Derek dug right in while the three ellyn took cautious bites of the goulash but then they were eating just as heartily as the Mortals and for a time they were too busy enjoying their dinners to bother talking or paying any attention to their surroundings.

Alex, who was seated by the window, glanced out at one point, noticing that there were a few flakes floating in the night air and resisted a sigh. He was about to comment on the snow when a voice froze him.

"So there you are, Mr. Grant."

Alex refused to look up as Mark Farrell stopped by their booth, a wry grin on his face. "I understand you had a little accident. Hope you’re not too badly banged up," he said with false sincerity. Alex refused to answer. "What? Nothing to say, Mr. Grant? How unlike you." There was a definite sneer in his voice.

Derek wiped his mouth on his napkin and then stood up, forcing Farrell to retreat a bit as the former sailor faced him. "Oh, I know you," he said with feigned pleasure. "You’re the guy who was scribbling all those notes on our classes, aren’t you? I hope you gave us a good grade, because a lot of people will be disappointed if you didn’t."

Farrell snarled. "I wouldn’t know. I gave my recommendations and others will make the final decision."

"Well, that’s all well and good," Derek said, "but in the meantime, my dinner is getting cold, thanks to you. So why don’t you stop bothering us and be on your way."

"Who are your three friends?" Farrell demanded, nodding at the three Elves. "I’ve not seen them before. Odd looking. Like that bunch at the mansion."

"Well, now, aren’t we just full of curiosity?" Derek answered drolly. "And why do you even care? Now, why don’t you get on your way...."

"So is this what you’ve descended to?" Farrell shot at Alex, ignoring Derek. "Hiding behind your friends, letting them fight your battles for you? How far we have fallen," he sneered.

"Mister, the only person who’s apt to fall is you if you don’t get on your way," Derek said more hotly, clenching his hands in a threatening manner.

Before Farrell could respond, two patrons rose from their table, both of them brawny, looking very much like loggers. One of them spoke. "This guy giving you trouble, kid?"

"What about it, Mr. Farrell?" Derek said, silently pleased to see the man start at the sound of his name. "Are you giving us trouble? Because if you are, we’re willing to oblige."

"You?" Farrell sneered. "You’re nothing but an overgrown boy scout."

"Now there’s where looks can be deceiving," Derek retorted quietly.

"And we’re anything but boy scouts," said the man who had spoken before, he and his friend giving them grins that did not bode well for Farrell if he thought to make a wrong move. Recognizing he was outnumbered, Farrell merely scowled and turned, pushing his way past the two loggers, slamming the door behind him as he exited the café. The two men gave Derek considering looks which Derek returned with a nod.

"Thanks," he said.

"No problem," the first man said with a wave of his hand. "We know his kind all too well and didn’t like the way he was razzing on your friend. Better get back to your dinner before it goes cold." The two loggers resumed their own seats while Derek sat back down, picking up a piece of garlic bread to chew on. He glanced at Alex who sat as still as a statue, his face white, his hands clenched on the edge of the table, his eyes staring at nothing in particular.

"Hey," Derek said, putting his arm around Alex’s shoulders and giving him a hug. "It’s all right. He’s gone. C’mon. Finish up and then we’ll have dessert."

"I want to leave now," Alex whispered.

"And give that creep the satisfaction?" Derek shot back. "No way, José. You’re going to sit here and finish your dinner and we’ll have dessert and then we’ll leave. Don’t you dare let that son of an orc win, gwador. He’s not worth spit."

Alex turned to him, his expression troubled. "He’s dangerous," he said. "More dangerous than you can imagine. I wonder how he knew I was here."

"He didn’t."

The two Mortals and the three Elves all looked up to see someone approaching. He was tall, with long black hair that seemed to have a blue sheen to it. He was dressed in black jeans, with a black turtleneck shirt under a red and black plaid flannel shirt. He wore a black duster and a black wide-brimmed hat. Alex thought he looked like someone out of a western movie. He recognized ‘Nate’ and just stared at him in disbelief. Derek’s expression was more curious; the three Elves were trying to rise from their seats all at the same time, apparently out of respect, somehow recognizing who this person really was, but Nate waved them back down as he pulled a chair from a nearby table and turned it around so he was straddling it, his arms on the back, his chin resting on his arms, giving them all considering looks.

"I’m glad to see you are all friends now," he said. Then he looked at Derek, who was still staring at him in puzzlement. "Hello, Derek. I’m Nate. I’m a friend of Alex, as well as Glorfindel and Finrod." Alex noticed the shocked looks on the faces of the three Elves as ‘Nate’ held out his hand for Derek to shake.

"Oh... um... hi. Please to meet you," Derek said automatically. Then he turned to Alex, raising an eyebrow and mouthing, ‘Nate?’. Alex just shrugged, not really sure how to respond. Instead, he gave Nate a hard look.

"What do you mean, he didn’t know I was here?" he demanded.

"Just that," Nate responded with an elegant shrug. "He just happened to be walking by and saw you at the window."

"He’s been missing in action for several days since checking out of the Goldmine Inn," Alex said, "and you’re saying he just happened to be walking by. Where’s he been all this time, and more importantly, what’s he been up to?"

"Well, those are both very good questions, neither of which I will answer," Nate said.

"Will not, or can not," Alex shot back, ignoring the pained looks on the faces of the three ellyn who apparently felt he should be more respectful towards this particular person.

"Will not," Nate said firmly and there was something in his tone and in the look in his eyes that warned Alex not to push too far and the Mortal backed off a bit.

"Fair enough," he said. "Farrell’s my concern anyway. So, what brings you here?"

Nate raised an eyebrow and all three ellyn visibly cringed as if they were expecting blows. Derek’s only response was to drink some of his coffee, apparently enjoying the show. Nate ignored Alex, turning his attention to the three Elves.

"Congratulations, by the way," he said.

"F-for what, m-my lord?" Findalaurë whispered.

"For not dying yesterday after pulling that stupid stunt," Nate retorted good-naturedly. The three ellyn cringed even further. "If you had, I would’ve had all three high kings of the Eldar banging on my door demanding your immediate release and every elleth over five hundred would’ve been doing her level best to fade just so she could be with you in Mandos." He gave the three a significant look and they all blushed, murmuring denials, much to Alex’s and Derek’s amusement. "Glorfindel was right when he said that the drink Amroth concocted is fit only for cleaning out engines," Nate continued conversationally. "That stuff is pure poison."

"Which drink was that?" Derek asked.

Nate smiled. "Well now, that would be telling, wouldn’t it?" He stood up, returning the chair to its proper place. "I highly recommend the chocolate cream pie," he said and then he just faded away, apparently without anyone else in the café taking any notice of his strange exit.

For a long moment, the two Mortals and the three Elves just sat there staring at the spot where Nate had been, only coming out of their state when their waitress approached to clear the table and asking if they wished for any dessert.

"Ah, some... um... chocolate cream pie, all around?" Derek asked hesitantly.

The waitress just nodded and left with their dirty dishes, promising to bring more coffee for them as well. None of them spoke or even looked at one another. Alex was thinking about Farrell and what the man might be up to. He didn’t quite believe Nate when he said Farrell had just chanced upon him. Where had he been all this time and what had he been doing? He was still mulling it over when the waitress returned with their desserts and coffee and the check. The pie was very good and Alex felt himself relaxing as he took a couple of sips of his coffee.

A little while later, after paying the bill, the five of them left and headed back toward Alex’s car. It was snowing more and Alex hoped the roads weren’t too icy. They were just reaching the street where he’d left his car and were about to cross it, when a car came around the corner, its headlights nearly blinding them. They all froze and Alex stared in disbelief as he recognized Glorfindel’s van pulling up beside them. Finrod was in the passenger seat and had rolled down the window. Glorfindel leaned toward them to speak to them.

"Hop in. We’ll give you a lift."

"My car’s just here," Alex protested.

"Leave it," Glorfindel retorted. "I’ll have Amroth give it a once over in the morning."

"What do you....?" Alex paused, thinking out the implications. He gave the two Elf-lords a glare. "How did you know to come here?"

"Let’s just say a little birdie told us," Glorfindel said. "Now, hop in."

Derek pulled open the side door and they all climbed in, Alex being the last. When they were all settled, Glorfindel set off again. The short drive to the college was done in silence and even after Glorfindel pulled up in front of the Academy, no one said anything. Derek and Alex climbed out with the three ellyn right behind them whispering goodnights to Glorfindel and Finrod, waving as Glorfindel drove off. They went inside the building, making their way to the third floor. Alex stopped at his room and opened it but Derek continued on with the three ellyn to their rooms, making sure they were all set for the night.

"We’ll see you in the morning," he said. "Have a good night."

The three ellyn echoed his sentiment and then he returned to his room to find Alex sitting on the edge of his bed staring at nothing in particular.

"Hey, you going to be okay?" he asked with concern.

Alex sighed, rubbing his hands over his eyes. "I guess. This has not been a good day for me."

"I know," Derek said solicitously. "Look, it’s early yet. I’ve got a chess set stashed away here somewhere. Why don’t we play a game and take our minds off things for a bit?"

Alex nodded and Derek went to his closet and fished out a small case that turned out to contain a portable chess set. In minutes the board was set and the two spent the rest of the evening until it was time for bed playing. Neither of them mentioned Farrell or Nate the whole time.