Sparrow & Tulip

"Everything okay?" someone in the other vehicle asked.

"Hiya Boss. Little crowded but nobody's leaking in here," another voice answered.

Then there was a shotgun blast from behind them. They rolled up their windows and the black vehicles started moving again.

~~~~

He looked at his reflection in a mirror. Those filth. My beautiful skull!

The nanotechnology that had been dissolving the Good Brother's head had reversed the process as ordered but too much damage had already been done. Instead of the smooth, aristocratic skull he'd been born with, he was left with a misshapen, ugly ruin. The left side looked like it had been deeply dented in, the top of his head had two smaller, but similarly deep indentations. He ran his hand over the back of his head, it felt wrong as well. He looked at himself again. His skin was patchy and blotched where the mites had created new substrate for his flesh to grow across.

"Filth! Filth! Filth! Filth!" he shrieked kicking Gnik in the face each time. His screams turned wordless as he destroyed Szep's face as well.

"Brother," Jacob finally said.

He spun quickly, forgetting the man had even been there. The insect was looking at him, eyes wide and he couldn't let him know that...something. What couldn't the man know? How much of his brain had those rectum biters destroyed? And why couldn't the fool know...whatever it was?

"What," he finally said.

"Are you okay, sir?"

Exasperated, he waved a hand at his head. "Do I look okay?"

"Not to argue, Brother, but you're looking a damn sight better than you did before."

He stared at the man, trying to reorganize his mind but 'better than before' changed things. Yes. He was better than before. Much better, the chains that had bound his mind were barely memories now, half remembered suggestions. He was free! It took this primitive worm to see the truth, he was better all right. His curiosity had come unbound and he was perfect. Now he could bury this shit stain of a planet.

"Stop calling me Brother," he said, after another glance in the mirror. "I am the rock I will build my church on. Yes, the rock."

Completely unsure what was going on, Jacob simply nodded agreement.

"No! You are the rock but I am smaller!"

Jacob nodded agreement to that as well.

"...what is smaller than a rock?"

"Uh, pebbles?" the human guessed.

Yes! I am the pebble become man. The Pebbleman. The Pebbleman that will begin the avalanche that buries the world in...whatever. Why does the world now require burying?

He reached up and caressed his head. He loved this new head, so different and exciting.

"Yeah baby, the Good Brother is dead and gone," he suddenly sang in a high-pitched voice. He clapped one hand over his mouth and saw Jacob staring at him. He held up a finger for the man to wait.

Jacob looked very worried. "Are you sure you're okay, Bro...sir?"

He cautiously dropped his hand, not quite sure what would come out of his mouth. "Hoo-boy. I won't mislead you Jacob, no spur. My eggies got scrambled but good. But meow I have been healed by the Holy Spit! Can I get an almond!"

There was a pause as Jacob wrestled with that. "You mean amen?"

"Yes! That one!"

"Amen, brother," Jacob said carefully.

Pebbleman could see the uncertainty on the man's face. Reassure him. Yes, reassurance. I will need onions to aid in my work. Minions? Trunnions? No, it must be onions. That's what I need and I think I've been staring at this human for too long. Reassurance!

"Brother Jacob, as you probably noticed, I've had a fairly serious neurological...event," Pebbleman said, concentrating on speaking clearly and calmly. "May I still count you among my flock? Will you grease my monkeys to reach the...the hates of two dice?"

"...your monkeys?"

"Yes? Flock of monkeys?"

"No. The Good Book mentions flocks of sheep, Brother. No monkeys."

"Yes of course," Pebbleman said, gesturing vaguely at his raw scalp. "My event of course."

"I better stay with you til you're feeling better, Brother."

"Hmm, yes," Pebbleman said, trying to look wise. He is an ignorant insect but he sounds certain about the monkey issue. How curious. Should I tell him...what? What am I supposed to tell him? He looks scared, am I staring again?

"No primates at all? You're sure?"

Jacob sighed. "No, Brother. Just lambs, no monkeys."

"But, a troop of lambs? Don't be ridiculous. Lambs come in flocks, not troops."

Jacob nodded. "Flock of lambs, I swear."

"Those little shit-covered things."

Jacob simply nodded.

"Very well...what is that racket outside?"

"Guns. Something must have happened. There was a bang and they've been shooting."

"Shooting."

Jacob nodded again.

"You didn't go and see why someone is outside shooting their buns?"

"Shooting guns. And you told me to stay with you, sir."

A strange warmth filled Pebbleman. Could it actually be affection? Right here was his beloved servant, the sock he could build his...falling down thing on.

"You are my right hand, Jacob. Let us go and see what the fuss is all about."

Pebbleman strode through the door. Jacob followed, grabbing his hat. "Brother, do you need this?"

Pebbleman stopped and regarded the hat. There was danger there, in that hat. He didn't want that hat. Not right now, later. Then he could...

"Brother?"

"Yes?" Pebbleman said with a start.

Jacob cleared his throat. "You were just staring at the hat, Brother."

"For too long."

Jacob nodded. Again, Pebbleman felt the warmth of friendship and brotherhood. He stepped closer to Jacob, their faces just inches apart. Jacob looked terrified but determined as Pebbleman leaned forward, like he was going to kiss Jacob. Thankfully, he turned his head and whispered in Jacob's ear instead.

"I really need a...short sleep thing," he breathed.

"A nap?"

"Certainly, thank you. Let's go get the fuckwits calmed down and we'll have a nap. Then, just maybe, we'll have a few bites of food."

"A nap and then a snack," Jacob said dutifully.

"Indeed. And you must tell me when I do something inappropriate. The coral of angles is trumpeting loudly."

"That's chorus and angels, sir."

"Of chorus it is."

Pebbleman looked at Jacob expectantly.

"Brother?" Jacob said after another uncomfortable pause.

"I made a jest there, did you notice?"

"Okay, but that ain't the way you act."

"Yes, and what a shame it is. I'm well known for my humor at home."

Jacob started to wonder what humor was in the Good Brother... No, Pebbleman's home, but decided he didn't want to think about that.

"Brother Rock, let's go calm them down while some ammunition is left."

~~~~

The woman beside Ted had kept her hand resting between his shoulder blades but as they raced along, +she gently pulled him upright. They were just passing someone standing beside the road and the SUV slammed on the brakes. The man beside him opened the door and jumped back out. Ted kept his eyes down but out of the corner of his eye he saw one of the migrant workers looking in.

"Hey baby, you want a date?" someone asked in a teasing voice.

"Thanks, Deed, but I'm more of a fig man. Looks crowded in there, I'll ride with Mari."

The back hatch opened, and Ted heard voices and zippers behind him.

"Shep, you just take your own sweet time," a woman yelled. "It's not like there's a bunch of highly pissed off people right behind us."

"Keep your hair on, I'm an artist," a voice with a southern drawl answered.

The woman beside Ted turned his head to face her. The gentle touch sent a wave of butterflies through his stomach. He wondered what was wrong with him. She was one of the kidnappers, not some cute town girl. The woman had her black hair tightly pulled back and her eyes were dark as midnight. He was sure that she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Then she smiled and he was kind of glad she'd kidnapped him.

Whoever she was, he wanted to be on her side. "Hello, Theo," she said. "Everything is okay, I promise."

"Oh man, y'all got the wrong guy. My name is Ted. I don't know any Theo."

"We've got the right man, and the name your parents gave you was Theophile."

"My...parents. You know them? Y'all drug cookers too?"

"No, and neither were they," she laughed.

He felt his face get very warm. He was glad, embarrassed, happy, and terrified, all at the same time. Was this what Junior felt when he saw Julie? No wonder he was always half-crazed.

Behind them, there were sharp cracks that echoed in the narrow valley. Ted looked out the back and saw the massive old oaks on either side of the road starting to lean over. One of them fell across the road and the other fell to block the rest of the valley. Both trunks were shattered, leaving huge splinters of wood everywhere.

"Then who are y'all?" he managed to ask. "Feds don't work like this."

She leaned forward, like she was going to whisper a secret. He held his breath, needing to hear her every word.

"I'll tell you a little later, okay?" she murmured.

He nodded and swallowed. She was leaning so close and his heart began to beat even faster. Someone started to get in the seat beside him and he started to turn his head until she put warm fingers on his jaw.

"Let's get you cleaned up," she said in her soft voice.

She took a white square that smelled like alcohol and began to clean his face. He sat still and ignored the occasional sting. He would have been still if she'd been smearing manure on him. Whatever she wanted, he'd give it to her.

The SUV was moving again but he ignored everything around him, the only thing there was this woman. Their eyes met as she finished cleaning the blood off and she smiled again.

"That's much better," she said quietly, just to him.

He nodded, not having a clue if it was true or not. He didn't care, he just wanted to keep staring into those amazing eyes of hers. His heart began to beat fast again, every time he looked at her, he realized he loved her all over again.

"What is your name?" he whispered.

"Kawehi," she whispered back.

"That's beautiful."

The corners of her eyes crinkled in a smile. "Thank you, Theo."

She leaned closer and lightly brushed her lips across his. Theo's eyes were wide as she sat back up. Kawehi took his hand and he sat very still, not wanting her to ever let go.

The convoy of black vehicles flew down the twisting roads, but he was beyond knowing which ones or for how long. It didn't seem that important. Finally, they pulled off the road and everyone began to get out. Theo looked at her curiously.

"C'mon," Kawehi said, opening her door. "We're catching a different ride home."

He got out and followed her, wishing they were still holding hands. In front of them were a few junker looking cars and an old boxy camper with a big W on its side. It was attached to a trailer with equally beat-up looking motorcycles. He was surprised to see everyone unloading the newer cars and putting bags into the rusty sedans.

"My name is really...what again?"

Kawehi stopped and looked at him. "Your name is Theophile Cosineau, it's the French version of Theodore I suppose."

"Okay, I'll be Theo, for you"

"You want to change your name for me?" Kawehi asked, examining his eyes again.

Theo tried to brace himself against the feeling, but he fell into her eyes all over again. He snapped out of it when he smelled gasoline. Whoever they were, they were pouring the expensive fuel all over the newer vehicles they'd used to get here. Theo watched for a second and looked back at Kawehi.

"We can't leave any traces," she explained, leading him to a large rock.

They sat down and she took his hand again. Theo smiled, not really caring what they did with their trucks. There was a whoosh and the first one began to burn.

"Okay, Theo. I need you to listen to me," Kawehi said.

He nodded immediately. It would have been hard not to listen to her.

"You asked who we are. It's a complicated answer but we're the good guys. We came return you to your family, your real family, I mean. You were kidnapped when you were three years old."

That jolted Theo enough that he checked her face, looking in the bad way that he wasn't supposed to do. She didn't seem to notice though.

"My real family. I got a mom and dad then?"

Kawehi put her other hand on top of his. "I'm sorry Theo, they died just before you were stolen. Your aunt and your twin sister are waiting for you though."

She saw that Theo was back to examining her face closely. "I got a twin sister? What's her name?"

"Her name is Emma."

Theo saw that she woman was still telling the truth, but it didn't feel right, like his sister was named something else. That didn't make any more sense than anything else did. He didn't know he had a twin when he woke up this morning, let alone what her name was or wasn't.

"Everything okay?" Kawehi asked, squeezing his hand.

"Yeah, I guess. Where do they live?"

"We've got a few days of driving ahead of us but the camper there is pretty comfortable."

Theo looked at her skeptically. "Are you sure that thing will run that far?"

She laughed. "You might be surprised."

Inside, the camper was a strange mix of old and new. Around the driver there were more dials and readouts than he'd ever seen in one place. He even glimpsed small TV screens in the dashboard and the ceiling before Kawehi led him to one of the swiveling chairs. She had to help him figure out the seatbelts, even that was more complicated in this thing. But, despite all the tech, the floor was covered in grungy linoleum tiles. The walls were even the same fake wood paneling his stepparents had in their living room.

Further back, there were two doors. One was open and he could see a bed. The counter across from him looked as old as everything else, but there was another one of the strange televisions that someone had screwed to the top of it.

Another woman, he saw it was the one that had grabbed him at the truck, climbed in. them. She'd taken off the helmet and mask and he was surprised at how young she looked. She put a bag on the bed before taking the chair next to his. Theo quickly turned to the front before she caught him staring. He was relieved Kawehi was right there. He knew she'd never let anyone put a gun in his face or twist his arm. Behind him, Theo could hear other people getting in and moving around. Finally, the sunburned blonde man that had been sitting beside him in the SUV climbed into the driver's seat and put on his own seatbelt before looking over his shoulder.

"Everyone ready?" he asked. "Tray tables and stewardesses in the upright position?"

"Does anyone ever think that's funny?" the young woman next to Theo asked.

"Not so far," the driver said, glancing at the dials. "But hope springs eternal."

Theo was expecting to hear the clattering cough of an old engine turning over. Instead, there was an odd whining sound and then a deep rumble shook the RV. The miniature televisions lit up along with all the dials. The RV slowly pulled onto the road, followed by several sedans. The rumble changed pitch and Theo felt a surge as the old camper accelerated.

"My name is Rachel," the young woman to his right said.

Theo turned to finally look at her. She had eyes that were nearly the same color blue as his own. Her hair was as black as his was and she wore it pulled tightly back in a braid. He didn't see any hint of anger on her face. She looked friendly in fact.

"I'm Theo. You probably already knew that," he said carefully, not wanting her to get mad at him again.

She grinned, showing very white teeth. "Yeah, I've known your name for as long as you've had one. We're old friends, that's why they brought me along."

"Why were you so mean then?" Theo blurted without thinking.

She looked surprised and a little ashamed. "I'm sorry about that. We didn't know if you'd be willing to come with us or not. I wouldn't have hurt you or your friend though."

"My brother," Theo said. "Well, stepbrother anyway."

"I'm sorry for the man we killed," Kawehi said. "Was he a friend too?"

"Brother Vic? Oh no, he weren't no kin or even friend to me. Brother Elmer called him a mad dog behind his back, tole me and Junior to stay clear of him."

"It sounds like a pretty interesting place to grow up," Kawehi said. "Maybe we can chat about it sometime?"

Theo saw Kawehi's face as she spoke. She wasn't trying to deceive him at all. But there was also a lot more than idle interest behind her question. He couldn't think of a reason why anyone would care about life in Watson's Hole. If they'd been feds looking for meth runners it might make sense, but she hadn't lied about that either. He'd have to watch her closer, watch all of them closer. Going to all this trouble over one kid, that didn't make any sense.

The RV turned onto another road, wider and smoother than anything Theo had ever seen. He was pushed back in his seat as they accelerated again. One of the cars passed them, going even faster. He'd been using the tractor and old field trucks ever since he'd been tall enough to reach the pedals and these cars didn't make any sense. They were too quiet and too fast. Even with that trailered motorbikes, it was faster and smoother than anything he'd ever ridden in.

A few minutes later, Kawehi got up and went into the bedroom at the back. When she came back, she was wearing everyday clothes. Rachel got up next, and she came back the same way. She still looked plenty tough, but it was hidden a little more now.

"Ma'am, I don't mean offense, but I noticed we look like we might be kin?"

She smiled. "Ma'am? I'm only four years older than you, Theo. We're probably distant cousins, our families came from the same place."

"Do you know my sister?"

She laughed. "Oh yes. See, as soon as you two were born, my Dad came to help your parents out. Good thing too from what I hear."

There was more to it than that, it was obvious. Theo filed it away to worry about later.

"What's she like?"

"Well, she looks a lot like you. She's very smart and plays sports. She teases a lot but only the people she cares about. From what I hear, you two were always getting into mischief together. She's been my sister and best friend for a long time. I hope you and I can be friends as well."

"If you promise not to twist my arm again. And thank you for not hurting my foster brother."

She nodded. "I know it all seemed really unhinged, but we work really hard not to hurt anyone that doesn't deserve it. You two grew up together?"

Theo nodded. "His parents took me in after...well, I'm not sure now. My parents died from too many drugs?"

She shook her head firmly. "No, nothing like that. They were both very brave and died saving hundreds of people. They were both heroes, you'll be proud of them when you hear the story."

"Oh. Brother Elmer and his wife said it was the meth. I guess they didn't know."

That wasn't right though; Brother Elmer had told him several times about the social worker bringing him to the church because the orphanage in the city was full, how Sister Mildred had volunteered to take him in.

Rachel wasn't lying, or at least she thought she was telling the truth. He'd known better than to look too long at Brother Elmer or Sister Mildred, he'd gotten the back of both their hands for being prideful, but he couldn't imagine them just up and lying to him though.

"What were their names?" he finally asked.

"Oh geez, I should have started with that. Your dad's name was Oliver but he went by Ollie. Your mother's name was Claire. The full name they gave you is Theophile Gautier Cosineau."

"My kin are French then?"

"Your father was from a long way away," Kawehi said. "But your mom was from Pennsylvania. Her last name was originally Hardy."