Wicked Messenger by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview
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Chapter 9
Becky’s “silver bullet” was aimed right at Harry-Joshua and she said; “You should be ashamed of yourself. I ought to put you out of your misery before you blast everything around here.”
“Would you give me that thing before somebody gets hurt?”
He reached for it. Becky pulled it away, saying an emphatic; “No.”
“Come on. I know you’re not going to purposely use it.”
Becky was trembling. She said; “Don’t be so sure.”
“You saw what happened. He drew on me.”
“You called him out. There must have been another way.”
“Even you said it was okay to blast rattlesnakes. That’s exactly what he was. He came here to kill me.”
Becky recalled her previously stated sentiment regarding rattlesnakes. She put the “silver bullet” in her pocket and was silent as she thought things over.
H-J said; “Thanks. I owe you an explanation. You must have known that I had amnesia, but I think that now my memory is entirely back. My real name is Joshua Foucalt and I’m from the planet Eli. Our sun will soon die and we need another place to live. The only place we know to be suitable is here on Earth.
I’m here as a scout and that voice you hear on the rocket is that of my boss; Cronos Titanby.” He paused to see a reaction.
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Getting none, he continued; “We are a people of peace and Earthlings are not. It is our intention to wipe out all the humans on Earth, so that we can continue to live in peace. You have seen that we have the weapons to accomplish that.”
Becky found that ridiculous and nervously laughed.
Joshua said; “I have not seen that myself, but your history is one of armed conflict.”
“I’m almost ten years old and I have not seen any myself.”
“You are one of the fortunate. Will you give me that gun?”
“You must think that I’m incredibly stupid.”
Joshua merely said; “No.”
“As far as I’m concerned you peaceful Elis are the rattlesnakes and I want to be ready.”
“Becky. I’ve been given an important role in this whole problem and I swear to you that I’ll find a way to avoid the catastrophe. I couldn’t live with myself if I was responsible for eliminating people like you and Grandpa.”
“Easy to say.”
“You sound like a cynical Eli.”
“You fight fire with fire.”
“There will be no fire. Will you give me that gun? It does you no good.”
“Go back where you came from.”
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“It doesn’t matter if I did. More will come. Just like the rattlesnake I had to blast.”
Becky cried; “Why does it have to be this way?”
“I’ll find another way.” He knelt and held her. “Trust me.”
Becky’s cries turned to soft sobs.
Joshua said; “Now, will you give me that gun?”
She broke away and defiantly said; “No. You’re going to have to trust me.”
“What are you going to do with it?”
“I don’t know. Protect me and my family.”
“That’s what we all do and then the wars begin.”
“It sounds like the Elis have already declared war on Earth. It would be stupid for me to disarm.”
“You’re right. ......... Just don’t shoot me before I figure this whole mess out.”
Becky laughed and said; “Okay. I’ll trust you and you’ll trust me.”
“Deal.” Joshua wondered how he could keep his promise and sat in the shade of a saguaro.
Becky ran back to the house and was greeted by porch-sitting Grandpa. She was holding the “silver bullet” and excitedly said; “Look what I’ve got.”
He was stunned and said; “Give me that! Something happen to Harry?”
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“His name is really Joshua and he’s fine. This belonged to a bad guy he had to plug.”
Grandpa reached for the “silver bullet” and Becky handed it to him, saying; “Don’t lose it. We might need it. Joshua said that the Elis are coming here to wipe us out. He says he’ll find a way to stop it, but I’m not so sure.”
Grandpa was surprised that Becky now knew Joshua’s story.
He said; “Didn’t Joshua want this,” as he revolved the “silver bullet” in his hand.
“Yeah, but I wouldn’t give it to him. ............. We made a deal that we will trust each other.”
“Becky, don’t tell anyone else about this. You’re a smart little girl and .......”
She indignantly said; “I’m not so little. I’ll be ten on June fifteenth.”
He put his head behind her neck and pulled her forward, pressing his forehead against hers. He said; “I’m going to put this in a safe place and don’t you follow me. If someone comes looking for it, it’s better if you don’t know where it is.” He stood up with some effort and an exhale and walked toward the desert. He wanted her to think that was where he was going to put it, but he intended to return with it and keep it somewhere in the house, just in case. She went in and sat at the table in
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the empty kitchen, thinking many inter-related thoughts which bisected each other.
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