Chapter 26
Isaac finished his walk alone. It was not as if he had a choice; his will was at its end when Liz threw him. Alongside that, her actions were justified by his own actions, his own lust. He walked across the dead city for an hour before he reached the docks where two hundred and fifty men loaded large crates onto boats headed for Angel Island.
He walked up to one of them and said, “Has a young girl walked through here some time in the past hour?”
A very deep and powerful voice came from behind. Marcus said, “Yes she did, and her anger caused her to attack me. Give me reason not to return the favor.”
“Marcus, what I did to her-”
“Yes, what did you do to her?”
Marcus’s six horns all lit to fire and burned until they were white hot. His lip started to curl and his mouth formed a sickly grin. Smoke began to rise from his nose and his wings started to shiver and shake. Isaac knew that despite Marcus’s loyalty to his former boss, he could take power when, where, and how he wanted to. He decided to give in and walked over to Marcus. He planned to bow to him, but Marcus turned and walked away from the docks. When they were alone, Marcus’s horns had cooled to a dull yellow-orange.
Marcus said to him, “Tell me, Isaac; my sister was filled with an anger that defied even my own will. I asked her what drove her and she told me to ask you. What happened between our last meeting and here?”
“I told her too much of my own past and she tried to give what she could. I felt myself looking for something…more. Marcus, I do not know if you still understand these kinds of things, but I feel myself wanting her more and more not just as a fellow titanicus but also…”
He trailed off as he looked at Marcus. His eyes were fixed on Isaac and his body refused to move. Marcus said in a calm voice, “Please continue.”
Isaac sighed and said, “Marcus, I love her. I think I may have lost my only chance at getting her only because of my own foolishness.”
“Go back to the island, Isaac.”
“But I-”
“NOW!”
His voice echoed off the structures and made it a lot louder than it really was. Isaac knew that, but it still hit his mind like a hammer upon an anvil. Before he left, Isaac swore he could here a light squeaking sound coming from Marcus. He ignored the sound and walked to where the boats were loading. It would be a long trip back, and he knew it.
As soon as Isaac was out of sight, Marcus said in a much softer voice, “He is gone. You can come out now, little one.”
Liz jumped from behind Marcus’s uppermost plate-scale, where there was a small gap between it and the ones below it. The squeaking noise Isaac heard was Liz trying to hide her grief. She had feelings for him also, and whatever pain he had, she wanted to share it with him until the end of time. Marcus said to her, “Isaac is a great man, and both of you would be happy together. I do believe that if he truly cares for you, he will search for you when we return to the island. If he does not, then I think you will have to do the searching for him. Let us return to the island. The sun is starting to set, and tomorrow will be an interesting day. We will all need as much sleep as we can get.”
“Marcus. You showed him anger I’ve never seen before. What was that?”
“Little one, you have seen my anger many times in the past. When you needed saving, when your life was on the line, and when I felt passion toward a mission, my anger is who I am. I hope for your sake that you never understand it.”
“I fear I might not have a choice.”
Liz jumped onto Marcus’s back and he took flight for Yerba Buena. She asked him repeatedly on the trip back, “Are you sure he will come for me? But how can you know?”
Marcus never answered the second question. The truth was, he did not know. He never knew. Still, he reassured his child that Isaac would search for her. Even if it were against God’s will, Isaac would hunt for her.
He walked up to one of them and said, “Has a young girl walked through here some time in the past hour?”
A very deep and powerful voice came from behind. Marcus said, “Yes she did, and her anger caused her to attack me. Give me reason not to return the favor.”
“Marcus, what I did to her-”
“Yes, what did you do to her?”
Marcus’s six horns all lit to fire and burned until they were white hot. His lip started to curl and his mouth formed a sickly grin. Smoke began to rise from his nose and his wings started to shiver and shake. Isaac knew that despite Marcus’s loyalty to his former boss, he could take power when, where, and how he wanted to. He decided to give in and walked over to Marcus. He planned to bow to him, but Marcus turned and walked away from the docks. When they were alone, Marcus’s horns had cooled to a dull yellow-orange.
Marcus said to him, “Tell me, Isaac; my sister was filled with an anger that defied even my own will. I asked her what drove her and she told me to ask you. What happened between our last meeting and here?”
“I told her too much of my own past and she tried to give what she could. I felt myself looking for something…more. Marcus, I do not know if you still understand these kinds of things, but I feel myself wanting her more and more not just as a fellow titanicus but also…”
He trailed off as he looked at Marcus. His eyes were fixed on Isaac and his body refused to move. Marcus said in a calm voice, “Please continue.”
Isaac sighed and said, “Marcus, I love her. I think I may have lost my only chance at getting her only because of my own foolishness.”
“Go back to the island, Isaac.”
“But I-”
“NOW!”
His voice echoed off the structures and made it a lot louder than it really was. Isaac knew that, but it still hit his mind like a hammer upon an anvil. Before he left, Isaac swore he could here a light squeaking sound coming from Marcus. He ignored the sound and walked to where the boats were loading. It would be a long trip back, and he knew it.
As soon as Isaac was out of sight, Marcus said in a much softer voice, “He is gone. You can come out now, little one.”
Liz jumped from behind Marcus’s uppermost plate-scale, where there was a small gap between it and the ones below it. The squeaking noise Isaac heard was Liz trying to hide her grief. She had feelings for him also, and whatever pain he had, she wanted to share it with him until the end of time. Marcus said to her, “Isaac is a great man, and both of you would be happy together. I do believe that if he truly cares for you, he will search for you when we return to the island. If he does not, then I think you will have to do the searching for him. Let us return to the island. The sun is starting to set, and tomorrow will be an interesting day. We will all need as much sleep as we can get.”
“Marcus. You showed him anger I’ve never seen before. What was that?”
“Little one, you have seen my anger many times in the past. When you needed saving, when your life was on the line, and when I felt passion toward a mission, my anger is who I am. I hope for your sake that you never understand it.”
“I fear I might not have a choice.”
Liz jumped onto Marcus’s back and he took flight for Yerba Buena. She asked him repeatedly on the trip back, “Are you sure he will come for me? But how can you know?”
Marcus never answered the second question. The truth was, he did not know. He never knew. Still, he reassured his child that Isaac would search for her. Even if it were against God’s will, Isaac would hunt for her.