Rewriting Singularity Ch. 20

The music box slipped out of my hands and crashed to the floor. In a split second, Hec jumped off the bed and was next to me.

"I killed it!" I felt ill. The music box lay on the floor, lid open and silent. Hec knelt down next to it and tended it like it was a sick child. The bottom of the box was cracked, and he traced the break with his long fingers. As he gently turned it over, part of the broken base fell loose in his hand. The box was divided into two compartments: one held delicate wheels with prongs of gold, the other a tarnished brass container.

Hec carefully reached inside and pulled out the canister.

"The soil that is not mine--"Hec whispered. "Henry was buried. It was Johann who was cremated."

It was my turn to feel confused.

"That poem," Hec explained. "It wasn't referring to Henry-- don't you see? It was about Johann. Henry wanted them to rest together, but they couldn't. These must be Johann's ashes!"

I recalled my conversation with Linden when he'd asked me if we'd found any canister or-- "The music box! All along Henry had tried to tell us. Johann was right here all the time. But if Henry had the ashes, why didn't he bury them with him?" I asked.

"He must not have known they were inside the box. Remember Linden told you Johann's wife, Emily, gave Henry the ashes? Well, she did, but for some reason he never knew."

"How could he not know?"

"Only one reason," Hec said. "She must have died before she could tell him."

Hec set Johann's ashes on the nightstand, then gave me a long, hungry kiss. Later, I finished him off right in our bed-- showed him 101 uses for PB and J.

But I only found one use for the binder twine.

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Hec rolled over and yawned. "I need a bath," he said. "I'm sticky as hell."

"You didn't complain last night." I scooted in closer to him..

"Ah, think your tongue missed a few spots."

"Want me to lick you clean?" I purred.

Hec chuckled as he sat up in bed and swatted my ass. "I don't mind going to bed with PB and Jake," he said, "but I rather wake up with justyouon me."

I rolled on top of him and smiled down into his surprised face. "Life is like that-- spanks you, ties you up with binder twine, then smears peanut butter all over your ass," I said. " Next thing you know, some bastard sneaks up behind you and calls himself *Armando the Cumquat King."

"Hey!' Hec said. "I'm the Cumquat King!"

I kissed him, then licked the tip of his nose. "We better get washed up and ready for breakfast-- after all, we've got guests coming today."

"They're not the only ones who are coming..."

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Breakfast: Omelettes. With buttered toast.

I beat Hec downstairs. Linden and Jorge came in a moment later, followed directly by Hec who pulled his chair closer to mine to join us. Kate and Char were busy, getting breakfast for our other guests. Char took off with a tray filled to the brim.

"Mmm," Jorge said, "I smell peanut butter."

Must be Hec didn't wash well enough behind the ears.

"You want peanut butter?" Kate asked. "I'll get some for your toast if you'd like." She began rummaging through the cupboards before Jorge could answer. "Now... where'd I put it?"

"Thank you, but it's no problem."

"No, no, no," Kate said. "I'll get a jar out of the pantry."

"You should not go to such trouble," Jorge said.

Kate waved him off and disappeared to find some.

"No peanut butter for me," I whispered to Hec. "A half a jar of Jif is my limit."

Hec kicked me under the table.

Kate came out of the pantry waving the jar over her head.

"We've got something to tell everyone," Hec said. I almost spat out the mouthful of orange juice. "We found Johann's ashes."

That was a relief-- I thought he was going to tell them why we were making so much noise last night.

"No kidding? Where?" asked Kate.

"Right there in my room all along-- in the bottom of the music box." Hec went on to explain how it happened.

"I wouldn't have believed it if you had not recited that poem by Byron," Jorge said, rubbing his chin. He always had this great stubble even after shaving.

"What?" Hec asked.

"Henry's hopes were realized. You'verememberedhim," Jorge said. "You've fulfilled Emily Liebowitz's promise to Henry."

"I guess so. 'My hopes being remembered in my line.' Now all that we need to do is reunite them," Hec said, stuffing a bit of omelet in his mouth. "We'll have to wait for the ground to thaw."

I nodded. Kate smiled. Jorge winked at Linden, and I gave Hec one of my hammy grins.

I picked the jar of peanut butter off the table, read the label. Two tablespoons 190 calories-- that's...

"Shit! Almost 2,000 calories!"

Just then, Char burst through the kitchen door, an empty tray in her hands.

"Did I miss anything?"

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*In case you've never heard of CumquatNation, google it. It's been the source of humor at high schools and universities. There's a King of Cumquats, Prime Minister and even a god. Members are gay and straight.