Dangerous Games IV

“To what do I owe this pleasure?” Dan asked. He honestly speaks like that. The rest of us may act courtly sometimes but he even talks like it. It pains me to be the brother of such a nut case.

“I suppose you already heard about Al?” I asked, accepting the cup of lemonade that he handed me.

“I would have to be completely deaf to have not heard about Al. If you are only here to tell me about my unfortunate subordinate, I thank you for your trouble but you are bringing old news.”

“Why is it that I couldn’t have just come over for a social visit?” I demanded.

“No one in this family cares that much for each other; you don’t have to try to fool me. You either came to see if I was seeking revenge, which I am not, or you came to brag, which seems possible.”

“You aren’t upset that I cased your loser friend out of the house?” I asked.

“Pawn, only a pawn,” Dan told me calmly. “New pawns can be found. Better pawns.” I was surprised, I’m expected to act like that, the others aren’t. Then I looked in Dan’s eyes and knew he was just putting on a front. He was really mad with me and just trying not to show it. I looked in my lemonade, decided it might be dangerous to drink all things considered, and excused myself. Dan was hunting me, and I was determined not to make myself that easy of prey.

My next stop was Isabelle’s room. She didn’t even bother to welcome me in, she just opened the door and then went back to sitting at her desk, playing world take over games. They are her favorites, the bigger the armies she can build the better. I entered and sat down on the chair across the room from her, I don’t like being close to Isabelle. I never know when she’s going to turn and hit me and I like to make it hard for her.

“So you got ride of Al,” she said finally, not turning to look at me. She was far too busy marching her armies into Middle Earth.

“I was told that was already old news,” I told her. “Dan wasn’t happy with me.”

“Neither was Mother,” she reminded me. “I would like it if Mother got rid of you, it would save me the trouble. Are you here to offer me your services, now that you are strong enough to actually be useful, or are you here to declare yourself my enemy once and for all?”

“How about I don’t do either,” I suggested. Isabelle was frighteningly to the point and wasn’t putting me in a good place in this discussion.

“Not an option,” I noted an explosion on the screen where a computerized city had once been. It had been named after me, not very subtle.

“You’re enemy,” I said. “Talk to you later.”

Having taken care of the people who mattered in my house I decided to go next door and have a word with Ben. I could only hope that he would be more comforting to talk to then my bother and sister had been. I was starting to get a bit scared.

“Ah, cousin, you haven’t come and seen me for far too long,” Ben said smoothly, stepping aside to let me into his room. I had entered his house without knocking, living as close together as we do and being the only people around we don’t care about those things. They enter our house without ringing the bell; we do the same to them.

“Hello Ben,” I said in an equally friendly voice. I find it hard to be rude to someone who is being that polite to me, even when I know he’s only doing it so he can use me. I guess that’s my problem.

To be continued...