Chapter 3

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Yes, it was probably rude to hang up without saying goodbye, but I didn't care about etiquette. I sat on the bed like I'd been struck by Zeus lightning. My game nickname was... CapNemo... A direct reference to Odysseus, the way he names himself "Mr. Nobody" to Cyclops! But I made it up... A long time ago... Back in high school. How did that happen? How?! Because Moiras is fed to Kronos and there is no Fate! A mere coincidence? And was the call from the mysterious Pat a simple prank, as I thought? It felt like the world was a lot more complicated than I'd imagined. And I don't know my way around it at all. It's an unpleasant discovery when you're nineteen!

On the other hand, maybe it's just a coincidence. How many players in the world with nicknames with a certain amount of imagination can be correlated with Odysseus? The same variations of "Captain Nemo" in just one BAA dozen. But as far as I understand from the Pilgrimage, I'm the only one chosen by Ulysses at the moment otherwise, there would be no Trial. This thought calmed me down a bit since the world is set up in such a way that the most seemingly impossible accidents happen in it.

Or maybe that's how people become paranoid. A couple of ridiculous coincidences, someone's misunderstood joke, and you already look at the world through the prism of suspicion. You can really go off the rails. But anyway, even such thoughts did not bring any comfort. Somehow this coincidence of a long-chosen nickname with the received Face looks like something more than a simple coincidence. And that phone call with the message...

Kronos! Why can't everything be simple? I just want to live without being touched. And play, of course. A bitter smile slid down my face at the thought, Odysseus also wanted to be left alone, and it turned out... Everyone knows what happened in the end...

A quiet but insistent knock on the door awakened me from my musings.

"It's open!"

I hated to get out of bed, but I got over myself and met Illea on my feet. The chieftrix came into the room with a tray in her arms that held a small teapot, a couple of mugs, a bowl of pounded cane sugar, and a large platter of various cakes.

"On the computer desk," I answered her mute question.

She pushed the keyboard aside, put the tray on the table, and sat down in a chair.

"Are you okay?" After a little fidgeting in her chair, the guest quickly settled herself into her comfortable position.

Sitting back down on the bed, I just shrugged in response to her question.

"How much sugar do you want?" Illea asked, pouring the tea into mugs, not at all upset by my silent answer.

"Two pieces."

She tossed two cubes into the tea and stirred it leisurely, handed the mug to me, and only then poured some for herself.

For two minutes we drank the hot drink in complete silence. My guest stared at me, and I pretended not to care at all. I wasn't going to take any initiative. I didn't think she wanted anything from me. Apparently, she only came now because she wanted to genuinely help in any way. But I already was bitten once.

"Should I go?" She asked it calmly, without a trace of disappointment or the slightest hint of resentment. "I promise I'll leave the cakes."

"What did you want to talk about?" It just sorts of went by "you," even though I hadn't allowed myself to do that before.

"About people and their Faces." With a slight tilt of her head, Illea looked at my face as if she were trying to find something only she knew. In response, I leaned against the headboard and sat comfortably, my whole face ready to listen. "I'd tell you my Face." The beginning of the dialogue surprised me, to be honest, or was it her way of showing her level of trust? "Except I don't think the name will tell you anything. In all extant myths and legends, it's mentioned a couple of times at most... It's also the name of a piece of female jewelry that has nothing in common with the one worn by the One Who Chosen Me. Odysseus didn't cross paths with her either, since she died before Ulysses left Ithaca for the first time. It turns out that even if I told you, it still wouldn't really be an equal exchange."

I could insist and still know her Face. I felt that if I asked her directly she would answer. Except there was no point. If I stay here long enough to continue working for Daas, I'll find out eventually. And if the work for him, after my prank today, is finished, why would I need to know her Leek's name?

"Your reaction, to the fact that you mistook Ten for Ajax..." She handed me an eclair and continued. "The news and propaganda of recent years have greatly exaggerated Face's influence on humans. No... Of course, no one is lying, because it's dangerous to lie when it comes to divine things. But to exaggerate some facts while obscuring others is what everyone does, just to get grants from governments. Ten is a grown man, and even if he were the Face of Ajax, he wouldn't kill you. Believe me..."

"I know examples when people whose Faces were irreconcilable enemies in ancient times can coexist quite peacefully and even do common business." I know such an example, too, now that I have guessed about the boss's Face. I was tempted to say something about it, but I found the strength to say nothing. "You need to learn to distinguish between the Faces and the men they choose. Of course, if you know someone's Face, it would be foolish not to take this information into account when dealing with that person... But you shouldn't equate the Face with a person. You are not a copy of Odysseus, are you?"

Just thinking about it makes me shiver. Ulysses is certainly not the worst of the Heroes, but his morality makes me cringe. I don't want to become like him and be willing to set anyone up for his own gain just to get what he wants.

"That's it," Illea said, seeing something on my face. "So other people aren't copies of their Faces, either. I'm not good at finding beautiful allusions or making long chains of logic like Ten, so I'll tell you about me. My Face, she hated men." I could barely stop myself from crying out in bewilderment after what she said, for what Illea didn't look like was a man-hater. "She hated them, passionately, fanatically... So much so that she killed her two sons with her own hands when they were born." She says this calmly, but in her eyes, there is some incomprehensible to me but very deep pain. And it is even harder for me to believe what I have heard, for I have seen with loving eyes she looks at Rati, her nephew.

"And yet, I made it through." Her slight smile, like the first ray of spring sunshine, instantly dispelled the sullen mood that had almost taken hold in my room. "She also hated cooking, and if she took up this task, it always turned out something disgusting and inedible." Here I smiled because it was hard to believe it, with the talent of a chef that shows Illea! "Yeah, yeah. I'd know better than to do something like that. Look at me, do I look like my Face?"

"But doesn't the Face choose who it is closest to?" This question seemed legitimate to me.

"That's right, it chooses... And I, before my first Pilgrimage, was a very... aggressive girl who believed that the world was unfairly a man's place. And I saw the kitchen exclusively as a place of female slavery. So there's no discrepancy here. It's just... One day I realized that the world is much more complicated and not all men should be hated... And good food, that's very nice!" With these words, she handed me a basket cake with cream and strawberries. It really was very tasty! After waiting for me to eat it Illea continued.

"Storm Bearer had a will of steel, and I used this strong trait of hers to change. Yes, it wasn't easy and it didn't work right away, but you can see the result for yourself. That is, as Ten says, Face's set of mental qualities are not clearly written down in the divine books and are unchangeable at all times, from which one cannot turn away. You just have to love what your Face couldn't stand." It's simple in words, the objection goes around in my head but for the umpteenth time, I keep my thoughts to myself.

But even though I couldn't believe the simplicity of that approach, I felt she had the right words. I don't know how she understood what was eating at me, but she said exactly what calmed me down.

"Lance does the same thing, by the way, for his guys. They call it "Discard the Face".

"Daas told me." Having said that, I reached for a new cake. How am I supposed to eat so much food today?

"Besides, if you're not going to go through the Arch often, you won't have much trouble with the Face's personality pressure. Of course, you can completely accept the Face and follow it... Sometimes it can be advantageous, because the greater your affinity with the Face, the more, shall we say, benefit you can get from this Fusion. By the way, it's not the worst choice for you, Odysseus wasn't such a monster..."

"Palamed, Ajax..." I said two names in response to her words.

"You also remember Penelope's suitors." Illea snorted. "Ulysses couldn't forgive, of course, but in those days it was the norm. Ajax, yes, I agree, it's not a pleasant story... But good, kind, and honest people have a hard life nowadays, so maybe it's better..." It's clear to me that she didn't finish.

"If Ajax had been an enemy, then... But they had fought shoulder to shoulder for years, and to do this to his comrade-in-arms as Odysseus did..." She's frank, why don't I stop hiding in the shell of my thoughts?" It makes me cringe to think that I could change enough to do something similar to those who are around and trust me."

"If you don't want to, then don't change!"

Well, yes, the maxim is certainly correct, but if only it were that simple.

"No, I'm not saying it's easy, but nothing is impossible or unbelievable in your case, in my opinion. A little more self-control than you're used to, that's all it takes." She smiles, and you can feel the encouragement in that smile. "And by the way, you're a little off your game right now. Don't worry about it. It's not unusual for the legendary Face to choose someone. There is too great a difference between those of us who live today and those in whom the blood of the gods was strong. A broken state, a sense of powerlessness, confused thoughts, not quite adequate actions..." She winks, at these words. "A common occurrence. By the way, I already told Ten what I thought about him talking to you today. Because he must have known exactly what kind of state you were in and should have waited to discuss serious topics."

And if she was right, then the boss acted quite wisely. He was obviously going to offer me something, and the sluggishness of the interlocutor, his confused thoughts, could be played on this and get a more favorable position for negotiations. Except I broke the whole game with my breakdown. Tartarus! I really do seem to be becoming paranoid!

"My plans for the near future are now somewhat up in the air." I decide to take advantage of Illea's mood and ask the question.

"They are dependent on you." The chief answered quickly enough and it was clear to me that she and Daas were discussing the subject. "Ten suggests you take a two-week break... You're not much of a worker now anyway, so... How would you feel about taking some time off?"

"Vacation?" This is an unexpected offer, to say the least.

"Well... It's not like a proper vacation." She stretched that phrase a little, apparently choosing the right words. "I thought I could explain, but... Why don't you call Ten when I'm gone and he'll tell you?" What kind of offer is that?

"Okay." I don't feel like calling or talking to my boss today, because I'm a little embarrassed, but I'd rather call than hide. After all, I need this place, this job, and the possible prospects associated with it more than he needs me.

"Well, that's great." She clapped her hands lightly and smiled. "Finish your cakes and recover."

Illea gets up, obviously about to leave, but I stop her by asking a very disturbing question.

"What do you know about divination, destiny, and predestination?"

"Pfft..." It was as if the air had been blown out of the chief and she sank back into her chair. "Utis... I'm not a philosopher... Or a priest... What do you want me to say?"

"Your personal opinion on the matter." Since she didn't leave right away, maybe she can say something. She has managed to overcome the negative tendencies of her Face, so clearly, she knows a lot of things much better than me and the hundreds of couch experts on the net.

"Well... There is no fate as understood by the ancients. But then the question arises, what is fate? Here's a boy who decided to go to university to study architecture, and twenty years later his project built a skyscraper. Was this boy destined to build this skyscraper, or is it the result of his choice alone?"

"Ahem. So the boy decided and acted on his own, his choice of course, what does fate have to do with it?"

"What if he didn't decide to enroll, but his parents did? What if he got in, but got involved with the wrong company and ended up drinking himself to death? Where is fate here, and where is the choice?"

"Still, it's people's decision, not a celestial power... Although... There really is a fine line here, and pure philosophy begins..."

"But you're not interested in general examples and situations, are you?" It's good when your interlocutor understands you, and there's no need to ask difficult questions.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"Yes."

"Odysseus and destiny..." Closing his eyes, Illea utters. "Utis, it's not something abstract that worries you... Are you afraid that your son will kill you?" She opened her eyes and gave me a hard look. "A repetition of Face's fate is possible, yes. The priests say it is not a question of predestination, but of the subconscious urge to repeat Face's path. Alas, there is no way to verify this assertion, but why would they lie? And such repetition is only possible when the Fusion is high. That is, it is necessary to pass the Arch often and a lot... And that is the choice of man, not of the Celestial Powers..." She sighs heavily.

"Like me... No one forced me, time after time, to pass the Arch. I remember that the Pilgrimage was for me then, a kind of proof that I was as good as any man... So who is to blame but me for the fact that I am now..." Her silence lasts ten seconds at least. "Perhaps sometime later, I'll tell you. And about your case... I wouldn't worry so much. Just, if you get married, don't cheat on your wife without a condom... Or better yet, don't cheat at all."

"What's that got to do with anything?" Her words shocked me quite a bit.

"Ulysses was killed by the Telegon. A child impregnated on the side, not conceived in a legitimate marriage. And this is despite the fact that Penelope was faithful to Odysseus for two decades, not even knowing whether her husband was alive or dead. Believe me, this is a heroic deed, to love so much and wait so long, an accomplishment not unlike many of those glorified in myths and legends, murders of some monsters..."

"But... Ahem..." Somehow I never saw this situation from that angle, and now I can't find the words.

"My opinion, as a woman... The death of Odysseus at the hands of Telegon is a response to his cheating on Penelope. Aphrodite is vindictive enough to do such a thing. You see, it doesn't add up otherwise... There is no other reason for Ulysses to die this way... There is no reason for such a fate except this adultery. No, you may not believe me, and I make no claim to the truth, but that's how it seems to me..."

When I started this conversation I was going to talk about something else but her words knocked me out so much that I don't stop her when she stands up and takes the empty cup out of my hands.

"So if you were considering comparing yourself to Aeschylus [3], for you, unlike him, everything is not so predictable." That joke, a little ridiculous, still brings a smile to my face. "Okay, I'm going to go. And if you want to talk about philosophy, you can go to Ten, he has a degree..." She grinned at something of her own. "He's got all sorts of degrees... Yes... I'll leave the cakes, and bring the tray to the kitchen tonight. I'll leave some for you in the refrigerator; don't go to bed hungry." When she reached the door, she turned around looked at my face, and said. "You should take hundred, hundred and fifty grams of cognac and sleep well..."

"I'm not an enthusiast." I shake my head in response.

"And in vain..." Proclaims Illea and closes the door behind her.

I stared at the closed door for two minutes. How is that possible? I didn't want to talk about the killing of Odysseus by the Telegon; I hadn't even really thought about it. Which is an oversight, by the way. Why is it so complicated? Why did I pass the Arch? My life was so simple and clear, even before this morning and here...

I walked over to the fridge, took a bottle of mineral water, and drank it right out of the bottle, siphoning almost half a liter at a time. Before I put the bottle back I tossed it in the palm of my hand a couple of times. Is it just me, or does my hand feel better? Should I sit down at the computer, run the exerciser, and check it out? But the weakness in my whole body still hasn't gone away... I'm not sure the scores would be objective. And even though, as Daas says, this weakness is psychosomatic, however, even knowing this nuance I do not feel better.

Maybe Illea is right, and it's worth a little drink, maybe it'll help. But drinking alone? No way! And I don't have any booze in my apartment, and I'm too lazy to go to the store. But they won't sell me any cognac, I'm not twenty-one yet. Of course, I could go down to the bar, I don't think the boss would mind, but I'd have to drink with him... I don't think so. I don't feel like it, not at all...

By the way, about the boss... I picked up the phone and wondered if should I call him now or later. I really want to postpone this conversation but knowing myself, I understand that the longer I put it off, the harder it will be to make myself do it.

"Are you sane?" That was the first word I heard from Daas after I dialed his number.

"Yes." This is clearly not the time for witticisms, so I answer very succinctly.

"Illea was eating my brains with a teaspoon because I started talking to you without giving you time to come to your senses after the first Pilgrimage." The boss's voice was clearly filled with ill-concealed irritation. "I suggest that we postpone this conversation."

"I agree."

"My suggestion, for two weeks you're free from work, except to babysit for Rathie once every three days." I had no doubt there would be such a stipulation, especially after Illea had suddenly refused to explain the nuances of "vacation". "You can spend all that time lying in bed, of course, but I have a different proposition for you."

"I'm listening." And it's hard to answer in such a one-syllable way, but I feel it's better that way now.

"Make good use of this time. How about Lance tutoring you?" He talks fast and doesn't let me get a word in edgewise. "I'm sure it'll be hard, but it'll be worth it... And if you're turning on "Odyssey mode" in your head right now, I'm telling you, there's no charity in that offer. Lance asked me to send you to him, if possible. Why? He'll tell you himself. And yes, a coach of Lance's caliber costs more in an hour than you'd make in a month." That the head of the Goons knows how to train, and does it very well, I have no doubt, with his Face... "About your paycheck for the two weeks... You won't have it. Food and lodging are free but don't count on more than that.

What a greedy bastard! I think I can see him smiling as he said those words. But, in some ways, he's right - what's the point of paying a salary if I don't work? It's unpleasant to realize this, but I have to agree, the truth is I will not give up without a fight.

"You are clearly taking advantage of the situation, twisting my arms when I am not ready for business negotiations." I am trying to somehow turn the situation in a more favorable direction for myself.

"Yeah!" Daas replied with a sneer. "I do... You won't go complaining to Illea, I suppose..."

That's my whole fight.

"No, of course not." Although, to tell the truth, that's exactly what I wanted to do now.

"That's right..." He obviously didn't doubt my answer. "So, what should I say to Lance?"

"I'd like to know what he needs me for first." No, I've had enough of agreeing to Daas's proposals without getting to the bottom of them!

"He wants to give his boys an alternative to street life. As far as I'm concerned, he'll train you. And you're going to train BAA for those Goons who agree."

That sentence made me a little dizzy... Is this really a white streak in life?!

"If that's the case, I agree." It was worth a lot of trouble to hide my joy and answer calmly.

"Great! He'll text you tonight." Without saying goodbye, the boss hung up.

Very carefully I put the smartphone on the table, took a deep breath, and exhaled noisily barely restraining myself from jumping up to the ceiling. I'd been thinking about how to approach the Goons and convince the guys to form a team, and here was the gift! With Lance's support, I might actually be able to make a dream team!

Illea said I should sleep, but after talking to Daas I didn't feel sleepy at all. No, the fatigue was still there, but the feeling of inner emptiness disappeared without a trace.

After turning on the computer, I pondered for a couple of minutes whether or not to turn on the training program. After that, I gave up and started surfing the net, reading gaming news, and forums, and watching a few games of the top teams.

After watching it, I noticed that many players are trying to implement the possibility of assault with a jetpack. Some have succeeded but still, there were more videos on the net about the epic failures of players in attempts to implement this tactical element. But otherwise, the gameplay meta hasn't changed. The basic tactics have hardly changed at all. By the way, this is not surprising, the last global patch in the BAA, with changes to the game balance, came out about a quarter ago, and therefore it has long adjusted. The next update is promised in spring, so I should not worry that I might miss some new tactical trends in the Arena. Although. But it's better to keep an eye on the news and follow the results of more or less serious tournaments.

The net kept me so busy that I didn't notice how dark it got. With some regret, I turned off the computer and leaned back in my chair, thinking that I should go downstairs and get the food Illea had promised me. No sooner had I got to my feet than there was a knock on the door.

Yes, Kronos! Who's here now? And I didn't seem to close the door behind Illea.

"Open!"

The door swung open abruptly and a huge silhouette, like a bear standing on its hind legs, blocked the entire doorway.

"Oh-ho-ho! The boy became a man!" With those words, Jiro came into my room and immediately wrapped his arms around me, lifting me off the floor.

I wonder who told him? But that thought immediately evaporated from my head, as did the air squeezed out of my lungs by the bartender's embrace.

"You'll strangle me," I muttered.

With a bass chuckle, Jiro very carefully set me on my feet. Then he pulled out a flat bottle from the inside pocket of his jacket. It was tequila, judging by the label.

"This calls for a drink!" The giant declared unequivocally.

After placing the bottle on the table he took out of his pocket two metal sliding stacks, each with a capacity of fifty milliliters.

"I'm not an admirer." That's the second time I've said it today.

"Yoo-hoo-hoo!!!" The bartender responded by throwing up his hands. "No... How's that? It's a second birthday... In fact... We should celebrate!"

Jiro's presence made my already small room look tiny. He seemed to take up all the available space. But despite his unexpected visit, I was glad to see him. I don't know why but I liked this half-breed with his very peculiar black humor and his strange, overly fatalistic view of the world, as a person and especially as a conversationalist. As I watched him open the bottle and stand there looking at me expectantly I realized that I didn't want to be alone right now.

It's not that I don't drink at all, I don't have that kind of shtick. It's just that I don't think alcohol tastes good, except for good beer and semi-sweet white wine. Nevertheless, I sometimes allowed myself two or three shots to keep the company, so to speak. Looking at the giant, I understand that if I refuse him now, he will not be very upset, but he will definitely leave and I will be left alone with my thoughts again. Of course, I had a lot to think about, but I needed the psychological release much more than that. Maybe Illea had been not so wrong to explicitly state that I needed a drink.

"Don't be shy like a girl!" Pouring tequila into one of the shots, Jiro says. "I shouldn't be the only one drinking to you, should I?"

"Pour..." I waved my hand back, causing him to smile happily.

"There! That's right!" He filled my shot glass, too, and handed it to me. "Well... Cheers!

We clinked our glasses, and I swallowed them in one gulp. Normally tequila is drunk with lime and salt, but even though Jiro hadn't bothered to bring either, the alcohol slipped inside me easily, leaving almost no unpleasant aftertaste.

"Uh-oh!!!" Placing the empty stack on the table, Jiro reached out. "Good going!" I just nodded at these words and it really is good. "So, do you feel like a real man now?"

Without waiting for an answer the bartender sat down in my chair which creaked pitifully but withstood his considerable weight.

"I felt like minced meat that had just been put through a meat grinder..." The tequila felt like a cold thick drop that ran down my body and fell into my stomach, and then it felt somehow warm.

It was stupid to stand, so I just sat on the edge of the bed, demanding a shot of Jiro.

"There! That's a completely different thing!" The giant instantly oriented himself and filled the jars again. "Between the first and second, there's no break at all... That's our way!" Solemnly raising his shot glass, he said. "Many years ago a boy Utis was born, today he became a man, and we have to drink to that!"

Our shots touched easily. The second shot of tequila burned my throat distinctly, but it was more of a pleasant sensation. A new warmth flooded through my body again, and I felt the tension of the day recede.

"How's your hand?" Taking my shot glass, the bartender suddenly asked.

"It feels better..." I pulled my hand forward and clenched my fist a few times. "But, I didn't check."

By the way, why is he limping, I think he was passing the Arch after an injury or was he unlucky?

"What about your leg?" I'm voicing my thought.

"Ah-h-h-h..." With a heavy sigh, he filled the glasses again. "I was less fortunate... The hero of my Face... You wouldn't believe it, but he was lame! So I could not be healed by a spiritual fusion with the Face, and modern medicine has already done all it could in my case."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Well, never mind."

We drank again, this time without a speech, and I felt myself getting a little tipsy.

"It's a day off, what brings you to work?" I asked.

"A couple of days ago Illea asked me to buy a case of white wine. So I brought it... I went into the hall and saw Ten and Illea arguing, which turned out to be about you, so I found out that you had passed the Arch today. And as soon as I found out, I looked in the bar and came straight to you... By the way, do you have anything to eat?"

"No. The fridge is empty." Jiro's face immediately took on a frustrated expression. "But Illea said she made dinner for me, and I could pick it up downstairs."

"Оh!! That's good!"

"I'll go get it."

I remembered that I still had a bargain with Lance, and I shouldn't have been drinking at all. Except, I felt so light and warm now that I sent those thoughts far away.

In the restaurant fridge, there were two closed food containers with stickers that said: "for Utis". The first one contained marinated fried chicken wings and the second contained baked potatoes with mushrooms, topped with some pleasant-smelling sauce and sprinkled liberally with finely chopped herbs. I don't think this is the most appropriate appetizer for tequila, but even the cold unheated food smelled so appealing that I went back to my room with one thought: hurry to heat it all and eat it!

"Here's the appetizer..." With these words, I piled into my room.

I couldn't finish, though, because Jiro wasn't in the chair. No, the giant hadn't disappeared; he was still in the room. Only now he wasn't sitting, he was lying on my bed. With his arms spread wide so that his palms touched the floor, he sniffed softly, his nose on my pillow.

"Hey!..." Putting the food on the table, I tried to wake him up.

"Yum...Yum..." The bartender only turned his head slightly and mewled his lips in response.

Kronos! What's wrong with him? He didn't smell liquor when he came in, so he only drank with me, then how? We only drank a little bit! I look at the bottle, no, he didn't drink without me... When I left, he seemed to be fine.

"Hey..." I jerked his shoulder again.

No reaction.

"Jiro! Get up! What the heck?!" I leaned over and barked in his ear.

He mumbled something in response, but that's it...

I tried for five minutes to wake up the bartender, but all my attempts were fruitless. Gaia! What am I supposed to do? I can't lift it?! It weighs at least a hundred and fifty kilos! I thought about pouring a decanter of cold water on him, but I quickly dismissed it, as it would also damage my bed.

When I realized I couldn't wake him up, I collapsed into a chair. Tartarus! It had all started so well! I was just getting ready to have a good drink and talk "about life" and try to get more information from Jiro about Daas, Illea, and the others, and then such an ending. Of course, I've heard that natives do not tolerate alcohol intoxication and they can go out literally with one shot of vodka. But, first of all, Jiro is a half-breed, and second, he weighs as much as two me! How could such a giant be knocked off his feet by a hundred and fifty grams of tequila? But, from what I can see, he could.

After warming up the food, I sat back down. What should I do now? Should I call my boss and ask for help? No, it better not to do that who knows how he would react to what had happened and whether it would cost Jiro his job? Even though he broke into my place, got three shots drunk, and was now sleeping like a groundhog who had taken my bed without asking, I still treat the man well and don't want to get him in trouble.

I was interrupted from my thoughts by a message that came to my smartphone:

Tomorrow morning at six in the morning at the restaurant? Lance.

Deal.

Oh, man! I wonder if his Face was just as terse? As far as the legends go, he might have been. I thought I'd have a difficult conversation with the chief of the Goons today, but I guess it's postponed until tomorrow.

After setting the alarm for five-thirty, I was surprised to see that the clock showed only seven p.m. Well, it's been a long day today!

They say drinking alone is the first sign of alcoholism. But I ignored that prejudice and had a couple of drinks while I ate dinner. I didn't want to leave the bottle almost empty! After that, I washed the empty food containers, struggled to get the blanket out from under Jiro, and somehow snuggled up on a chair and wrapped myself up warmly. I thought of throwing the giant to the floor. I think I could do that, but looking at how serenely he sleeps with a happy smile on his face, I did not do it. Besides, I was so tired and exhausted that I could easily fall asleep in the chair. I think I passed out before the clock struck eight and I distinctly remember the last thought I had before I fell asleep.

It's a good thing that Jiro doesn't snore...

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