The opera theater is a short drive from the Spacescrapper, and the journey there is undertaken in an empty milk truck that reeks of dairy products, Dennis does not know why, and the journey is silent. Strangely no one has anything to say after the performance in the atrium, as if a mute has been imposed on the troop.
The roomy truck comes to a halt, and Dennis is led into a building he presumes to be the theater through the back entrance. Some hallways and staircases later, Dennis is guided into a small room and his blindfold is taken off. The room is dimly lit by a single twenty watt incandescent bulb, still Dennis rubs his eyes adjusting to the light source. The blindfold has been so tightly wound around his head there is now a red crease on the skin where the fold left its mark. The person who guided Dennis to this room is revealed to be Kenny.
'There's a wall of glass behind those curtains at the far side of the room, you have the crow's nest, you can see everything there is to see.' Kenny says, and pulls open the curtained wall to reveal a single panel of glass giving view to the entire theater, the stage to the left down below, and the first, second, and third floors of the seating, the box perches on the opposite end, and the ceiling catwalk which is at level with the room Dennis and Kenny are in.
'Why here?' Dennis asks, taking in the view.
'It will get crowded down below, and the oxygen not as pure.' Kenny smiles and heads towards the exit, before closing the door, he says, 'If anything happens, don't go anywhere, one of us will come and get you, you can count on that.' His head disappears behind the door and it shuts with a click.
Dennis sees that a chair has been proved for him, he sits down and stares below to the ground of the theater, which is quickly filling up with people in suits and dresses, all in black. He expects an orchestra to accompany the Wyatt siblings, but instead, when the audience is fully seated and the lights dimmed, the quintet enters alone in single file, dressed in an assortment of black and white semi-formal clothing, with Jerry pushing Addy on her wheelchair to her position next to Raymond. Their instruments are readied, and they begin to play. Dennis does not hear anything.
At first he thinks there is some trouble with the microphone, or perhaps they are only air-bowing. Both possibilities are proven false when a thorough search of the room unearthed no microphones or speakers, and when the audience, in their genuine astonishment and delight (despite most having attended the quintet's concerts before), begin to sway to the intoxicating melody. Dennis is puzzled that he is unable to hear the music, it is even more puzzling for him to come up with an explanation of why.
Dennis decides to concentrate on the quintet and their movements. At the fiftieth bar of the fifth piece, the audience gasped and held hands over their gaping mouths, Dennis does not understand this collective action, until he sees with some squinting that Raymond and Kenny seem to be conversing with each other as they each continue to bow vigorously. Soon, Jerry and then Chelsea joins what appears to be a full verbal conversation taking place simultaneously with the performance of their instruments. In another instant, Dennis follows Kenny's movements as he stops playing upon completion of a segment and carries his instrument offstage, waving goodbye to the audience before exiting. Then, Jerry packs and makes his exit, followed by Chelsea, wheeling Addy off stage with her, she comes back to haul off the bass, and Raymond is the only player left, standing alone with the spotlight trained on his now solo performance, like a musician auditioning for a seat in an orchestra. Raymond seems to not be aware of everything around him, swaying slightly to his own bowing, performing to a dumbfounded audience.
Raymond continues to play for a little while, enjoying his moment alone. Chelsea reappears at the fringe of the curtains in the same moment a man dressed in a black trench coat runs up the central aisle towards the stage, the barrel of a rifle appears at the curtain, and the man speeding up the aisle is shot a direct hit to the head, spilling red brain matter in a meter radius. Pandemonium breaks out, people duck, and then they rise, and being to run wildly, Raymond stops playing.
Someone from within the huge flurry of black that is the audience fires a shot, Raymond leaps in a dodge and lands sideways, tossing his violin in midair towards the curtains, a hand appears and catches the violin in flight, Chelsea appears fully from the cover of the curtain and returns fire, Raymond rolls his way from the open stage, an automatic machine gun fires from somewhere else within the fleeing masses, Chelsea ducks out of the way, bullets rip across the backdrop curtains and punch holes into the wooden flooring, a man jumps onto the stage, a long saber in hand, another join him, this man has a hatchet.
Raymond suddenly bursts from the side entrance waving a microphone stand, whacking the man with the hatchet in the side, the other man swings his saber, Raymond ducks and thrusts the end of his weapon into the man's knees, cracking them, the hatchet man gets back up, he is shot in the chest by Chelsea, reentering the stage, who fires several rounds into the audience, hitting several fleeing individuals in the backs, Raymond stomps the saber man's neck, and he is still. Chelsea drags Raymond from the stage, they flee as another volley of shots assaulted the stage.
Then Dennis sees a man on the catwalk, coming towards his window, an aimed shotgun in his hands. The door bursts open, Jerry rushes in, firing into the glass past Dennis (who runs into the ground for cover), which shatters, the man with the shotgun fires into the room as he walks unperturbed towards the perch room. The shotgun slug peppers into the wall near the door, Jerry fires furiously and empties the magazine in seconds, the man with the shotgun is hit, he goes down. Jerry throws down the pistol and takes out another from his dress suit.
Jerry takes Dennis' hand, 'Time to rush!' he says. When they come to the end of the hallway, the assailant around the corner is surprised when Jerry is the first to press a fully loaded barrel against his chest and fire a single bullet that tunnels through his flesh in straight trajectory before exiting from the back. Dennis does not get a second chance to observe the slumped man that Jerry has just killed before being pulled away.
There is a helicopter waiting in air on the roof of the theater.
Tuesday, 8 May 2012
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
Dennis Raveley - chapter 13
Behind Jerry, who is leaning against the doorway, appears Chelsea Wyatt, an impassive looking young woman in her early twenties, blond, athletic, with a hardly-noticeable face that displays obscurity. The appearance of Raymond and company does not enlighten her either.
'If I'm not mistaken, I believe my idiot brother is standing at the door.' She says.
'Are you ever mistaken?' Jerry adds, turning back to Raymond, 'You did come earlier than I expected, what's the hurry?'
'The hurry, as I've implied, is Dennis here.' Raymond pats Dennis on the shoulder, the blindfold still obstructing his sight. Jerry picks up his hand and shakes it, loosely.
'Right person in the wrong place at the wrong time, my young friend, I shake your hand with pity.' Jerry says.
'Now, Kenny and Addy are waiting downstairs in the atrium. I booked the space for the next hour and our luggage are waiting there, have you guys packed up?' Raymond is on a row.
'How can we? I had no idea you are coming.' Jerry said, 'You only look like that when it's performing time, so I assume you're planning to get us away using a gig?' His is the voice of a skeptic, though not without a hint of the laid-back attitude which defines him as a closely related younger brother to Raymond, except his hair is black, his brow is fashioned in a permanent semi-scowl, his expression withered even at the fresh age of seventeen, and his face pale like Addy's.
'Exactly my words, as a matter of fact, I believe I've arrived at such sudden non-notice, that if I had just startled you, whoever those suckers in black rovers are probably aren't aware this conversation is taking place right now.' Raymond says in a single breath. 'So stuff your bags and let's get a move on, we got a gig to attend.'
'Alright, alright, Mon, I've taken part in stranger diversions.' Jerry strolls off into the suite and Raymond enters, Chelsea smacks him on the head to remind him of his irrationality, and goes into the washroom to change out of her bathrobe. Dennis is left standing at the door unguided, now swinging shut, as Raymond goes off to find a jar of gummy bears.
Chelsea reappears, having changed into a T-shirt and shorts in an astonishing short period of time, and to Dennis, she says, 'Don't say a word, good to meet you.' Dennis can do nothing else but comply.
A few lengthy minutes later, Jerry charges out of the hotel suite, hauling a buckling leather suitcase and does not look back, Chelsea follows in a smaller carry-on, looking back in a vapid goodbye, and Raymond brings up the rear, guiding Dennis back to the elevators, and down to the atrium where Kenny and Addy are waiting with the strings.
'And before we leave, I'd like to give Dennis here a private show right here just because I can, any objections?' Raymond declares.
'None whatsoever, oh hail concertmaster.' Jerry replies, annoyed, and takes out a viola from the case that belongs to him. Chelsea unzips a full size double bass from the largest case, Kenny with his cello and hands Addy her red violin, while Raymond unearths his personal violin from his luggage (it came without a case) amongst clothing items. They tune as unison. Dennis is still without sight, and a shiver courses down his body as his ears are met with the sound of five strings in harmonic pitch.
'Alright people, go nuts.' Raymond announces the beginning of a short piece they've all memorised long ago, performed without flaw, and Dennis feels not so exhilarated since the time he went parachuting.
It is over in no time yet all the time in the world, Raymond asks shortly after the concluding fermata, 'So Dennis my friend, how many violins did you hear?'
'It sounded like...fifty, each. How many are you?'
'Two.'
'It sounded like a full orchestra of strings!'
'And that, is why we're so famous.' Raymond says, acknowledging his immaculate skill, 'Wait 'till the gig.'
'If I'm not mistaken, I believe my idiot brother is standing at the door.' She says.
'Are you ever mistaken?' Jerry adds, turning back to Raymond, 'You did come earlier than I expected, what's the hurry?'
'The hurry, as I've implied, is Dennis here.' Raymond pats Dennis on the shoulder, the blindfold still obstructing his sight. Jerry picks up his hand and shakes it, loosely.
'Right person in the wrong place at the wrong time, my young friend, I shake your hand with pity.' Jerry says.
'Now, Kenny and Addy are waiting downstairs in the atrium. I booked the space for the next hour and our luggage are waiting there, have you guys packed up?' Raymond is on a row.
'How can we? I had no idea you are coming.' Jerry said, 'You only look like that when it's performing time, so I assume you're planning to get us away using a gig?' His is the voice of a skeptic, though not without a hint of the laid-back attitude which defines him as a closely related younger brother to Raymond, except his hair is black, his brow is fashioned in a permanent semi-scowl, his expression withered even at the fresh age of seventeen, and his face pale like Addy's.
'Exactly my words, as a matter of fact, I believe I've arrived at such sudden non-notice, that if I had just startled you, whoever those suckers in black rovers are probably aren't aware this conversation is taking place right now.' Raymond says in a single breath. 'So stuff your bags and let's get a move on, we got a gig to attend.'
'Alright, alright, Mon, I've taken part in stranger diversions.' Jerry strolls off into the suite and Raymond enters, Chelsea smacks him on the head to remind him of his irrationality, and goes into the washroom to change out of her bathrobe. Dennis is left standing at the door unguided, now swinging shut, as Raymond goes off to find a jar of gummy bears.
Chelsea reappears, having changed into a T-shirt and shorts in an astonishing short period of time, and to Dennis, she says, 'Don't say a word, good to meet you.' Dennis can do nothing else but comply.
A few lengthy minutes later, Jerry charges out of the hotel suite, hauling a buckling leather suitcase and does not look back, Chelsea follows in a smaller carry-on, looking back in a vapid goodbye, and Raymond brings up the rear, guiding Dennis back to the elevators, and down to the atrium where Kenny and Addy are waiting with the strings.
'And before we leave, I'd like to give Dennis here a private show right here just because I can, any objections?' Raymond declares.
'None whatsoever, oh hail concertmaster.' Jerry replies, annoyed, and takes out a viola from the case that belongs to him. Chelsea unzips a full size double bass from the largest case, Kenny with his cello and hands Addy her red violin, while Raymond unearths his personal violin from his luggage (it came without a case) amongst clothing items. They tune as unison. Dennis is still without sight, and a shiver courses down his body as his ears are met with the sound of five strings in harmonic pitch.
'Alright people, go nuts.' Raymond announces the beginning of a short piece they've all memorised long ago, performed without flaw, and Dennis feels not so exhilarated since the time he went parachuting.
It is over in no time yet all the time in the world, Raymond asks shortly after the concluding fermata, 'So Dennis my friend, how many violins did you hear?'
'It sounded like...fifty, each. How many are you?'
'Two.'
'It sounded like a full orchestra of strings!'
'And that, is why we're so famous.' Raymond says, acknowledging his immaculate skill, 'Wait 'till the gig.'
Saturday, 28 April 2012
Dennis Raveley - chapter 12
Dennis is jostled awake by the percussion of landing wheels hitting the runway. The plane has delivered its passengers to the mainland oversea. Off the coastline are dotted countless islands and isles of light brown and gray, the larger islands are roost to small villas and mansions, and the mainland is masked by a continuous coastline metropolis, it is impossible to tell the natural boundaries where the ocean meets land had once been.
Raymond enters the cabin to declare, 'Rise and shine! We've arrived!' Dennis sits up and looks out one of the windows to sunlight streaming through the portholes.
'Did I sleep through the whole way?'
'You did, without noise too, that's a very desirable quality in a man, I say.' Raymond winks at Dennis, and makes his exit.
Dennis gets up slowly, and sits for a prolonged period of time in the cabin, staring out the very same porthole. In the airfield, Dennis can see Raymond unloading several small bags of cargo from the hold, among them are three cases that contain a violin or viola, a larger case with a cello enclosed, and a case of similar shape that is a good head taller than Raymond, the double bass. Also being unloaded are three black duffel bags, and finally, a military case. The plane's captain helps Raymond load these packages onto a limousine, and Dennis takes that as a sign that they are continuing on their way.
Just as he expects, Kenny puts the blindfold on Dennis as he is about to get into the limousine, and his vision is blackened, before he gets a good sense of bearing about the surroundings. Raymond , Kenny and Addy are in the compartment when the engine starts.
'Is Karla not riding with us?' Kenny asks.
'Nope, you need a break too, Kenny, she'll meet us again, unfortunately, at the opera house.' Raymond replies, grinning from ear to ear. 'And in addition, Dennis has to meet Jerry and Chelsea, you know Karla doesn't like Jerry very much, that's another reason why she isn't coming with us.'
'Not to mention his poems.' Kenny says.
'Too skeptical.'
'Too hopeless.'
'Too gruesome.'
'Too much chaos.'
'Too much love for death and suffering.'
'If Hannibal Lecter were a poet, he would write such materials as Jerry writes them.' Kenny concludes. They high five each other.
'Is she going to drive there herself.' Kenny asks, suddenly with the thought.
'She insisted.' Raymond replies with nonchalance. 'And the car is platinum-plated, even if a BMW T-bones her, that BMW is going straight to heaven.'
'Alright.' Kenny says, 'What piece are we performing?'
'A good piece, tweaked with some personal fixation by yours truly, you'll love it, trust me.' Raymond turns to look at Dennis, who is sitting still next to him.
'Before we do anything of that sort though, we're taking you to meet my siblings Jerry and Chelsea, and we'll show you the almighty power of the Nuts.'
'He means our ensemble.' Kenny adds.
'Why's it called the Nuts Strings Quintet?' Dennis asks.
'Don't ask me, Raymond came up with that one when he was fifteen years old.' Kenny says with a shrug.
'With Support from Jerry if I remember correctly.' Raymond counters, 'We needed something that grabs for attention instantly, not to mention, the nut is my favorite part of a strings instrument.'
'Not to mention also, the innuendo it portrays.'
'That fact happens to be completely accidental in terms of the English language.' Raymond concludes the conversation debate.
The limousine pulls up the long and elegant driveway to the Spacescraper hotel, a two hundred floor tall structure, the second most tallest in the world. 'We own a penthouse suite here.' Raymond explains, 'Sometimes the oxygen is so pure up there it can make your lungs feel brand new.'
They take a lengthy elevator ride to the top floor, Dennis still blindfolded. They are next in a dimly lit corridor, and Raymond takes Dennis' hand, guiding him to a double door at the end of the short hallway. The bell rings.
'Well, well, well, what an unpleasant surprise, how good to see the impending doom of the entire family fall upon us at this dark hour, what an absolute surprise.' The voice of Jerry Wyatt makes his appearance, full of wit, sarcasm, and the embodiment of outright malice. 'It's not about time you show up.'
'Yes, glad to see you too, Jerry, we have with us a guest I may introduce here, Dennis Raveley.' Raymond announces.
Raymond enters the cabin to declare, 'Rise and shine! We've arrived!' Dennis sits up and looks out one of the windows to sunlight streaming through the portholes.
'Did I sleep through the whole way?'
'You did, without noise too, that's a very desirable quality in a man, I say.' Raymond winks at Dennis, and makes his exit.
Dennis gets up slowly, and sits for a prolonged period of time in the cabin, staring out the very same porthole. In the airfield, Dennis can see Raymond unloading several small bags of cargo from the hold, among them are three cases that contain a violin or viola, a larger case with a cello enclosed, and a case of similar shape that is a good head taller than Raymond, the double bass. Also being unloaded are three black duffel bags, and finally, a military case. The plane's captain helps Raymond load these packages onto a limousine, and Dennis takes that as a sign that they are continuing on their way.
Just as he expects, Kenny puts the blindfold on Dennis as he is about to get into the limousine, and his vision is blackened, before he gets a good sense of bearing about the surroundings. Raymond , Kenny and Addy are in the compartment when the engine starts.
'Is Karla not riding with us?' Kenny asks.
'Nope, you need a break too, Kenny, she'll meet us again, unfortunately, at the opera house.' Raymond replies, grinning from ear to ear. 'And in addition, Dennis has to meet Jerry and Chelsea, you know Karla doesn't like Jerry very much, that's another reason why she isn't coming with us.'
'Not to mention his poems.' Kenny says.
'Too skeptical.'
'Too hopeless.'
'Too gruesome.'
'Too much chaos.'
'Too much love for death and suffering.'
'If Hannibal Lecter were a poet, he would write such materials as Jerry writes them.' Kenny concludes. They high five each other.
'Is she going to drive there herself.' Kenny asks, suddenly with the thought.
'She insisted.' Raymond replies with nonchalance. 'And the car is platinum-plated, even if a BMW T-bones her, that BMW is going straight to heaven.'
'Alright.' Kenny says, 'What piece are we performing?'
'A good piece, tweaked with some personal fixation by yours truly, you'll love it, trust me.' Raymond turns to look at Dennis, who is sitting still next to him.
'Before we do anything of that sort though, we're taking you to meet my siblings Jerry and Chelsea, and we'll show you the almighty power of the Nuts.'
'He means our ensemble.' Kenny adds.
'Why's it called the Nuts Strings Quintet?' Dennis asks.
'Don't ask me, Raymond came up with that one when he was fifteen years old.' Kenny says with a shrug.
'With Support from Jerry if I remember correctly.' Raymond counters, 'We needed something that grabs for attention instantly, not to mention, the nut is my favorite part of a strings instrument.'
'Not to mention also, the innuendo it portrays.'
'That fact happens to be completely accidental in terms of the English language.' Raymond concludes the conversation debate.
The limousine pulls up the long and elegant driveway to the Spacescraper hotel, a two hundred floor tall structure, the second most tallest in the world. 'We own a penthouse suite here.' Raymond explains, 'Sometimes the oxygen is so pure up there it can make your lungs feel brand new.'
They take a lengthy elevator ride to the top floor, Dennis still blindfolded. They are next in a dimly lit corridor, and Raymond takes Dennis' hand, guiding him to a double door at the end of the short hallway. The bell rings.
'Well, well, well, what an unpleasant surprise, how good to see the impending doom of the entire family fall upon us at this dark hour, what an absolute surprise.' The voice of Jerry Wyatt makes his appearance, full of wit, sarcasm, and the embodiment of outright malice. 'It's not about time you show up.'
'Yes, glad to see you too, Jerry, we have with us a guest I may introduce here, Dennis Raveley.' Raymond announces.
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Dennis Raveley - chapter 11
'Have you heard? The Bushkin Brothers' company got chapter 11.' Raymond says to Kenny, they are playing chess aboard the plane in flight, Karla is watching. Addy is napping some distance away, in sitting position, on the couch. Dennis is still snoozing in the room nearest the cockpit.
'Bankrupt already? They've only had the company for...what was it? Half a century?' Karla replies. 'Not even one generation.'
'Well, I heard from Leo that it was the son's fault.' Raymond replies, chewing on a handful of Almonds.
'Oh? So who has the company now?' Karla asks, her brow tightens.
'Slimy old McMurphy got ahead of us, or else that would have been fifty billions worth of dollars straight into our hands. It's almost possible McMurphy planned the whole thing all along.'
'You think he's behind the attack on the isle too?' Karla says, 'And why are you still so laid back about this matter? Even you understood how serious this is.'
'I'm not laid back, simply assessing my situation calmly. Oh wait, I've completely forgotten about the steak! Bring it here!' Raymond declares. Karla sighs and brings a hand to her face in a facepalm. The flight captain, while the plane is in autopilot, quickly enters the cabin and delivers the steak on a platter.
'Thank you.' Raymond takes the platter and digs in.
'Checkmate.' Kenny says quietly. Moving his queen to sever the last escape route for Raymond's white king.
'You're finished.' Karla says to Raymond, who takes a look at the board, steak sauce dripping off his chin.
'Do you prefer suicide, or death by the bishop, the queen, or the castle?' Kenny says, another systematic win for him.
Raymond doesn't think twice before tipping over his king. 'I die with honor.' Raymond says, winks, laughs, and strides towards the kitchen cabin to finish his steak. 'Oh yeah, and I have it all planned out here.' He takes a folded sheet of paper from his pants pocket and lays it on the table. 'Still wondering why I don't worry?' He leaves the sentence hanging.
Kenny opens up the piece of paper. On it is scrawled the simple plan.
'We use our guise.' Kenny reads, 'That's all he has to say.' He puts down the piece of paper, these words he read out are the only words written on the page, in huge handwriting. 'What a surprise, I already know that.' He sighs and rubs his eyes.
'You do that a lot, you know.' Karla says, starting off a new conversation.
'I'm going to get new lenses soon, these ones are falling short. Five generations and no one but me ends up with bad eyesight, now that's pure work of the devil in the genes.'
Karla laughs, 'What about me? Am I not part of the family? Don't I have four eyes too?'
Kenny smiles, 'All depends on your definition of family, and by your definition, that makes two of us.' They slap each other a high five. 'But, I still have the shortest sight, and that title is mine to keep.' He puts on his glasses. 'Care to see Alien with me?'
'What? You want to see Alien while this situation is going on?' Karla gives him an incredulous look.
'Raymond has a plan right here, and if the Wyatt wants Raymond to learn, I'm happy to let him learn. This mission will be carried out with Raymond in the lead.' Kenny says, shrugs.
'You do understand that among your siblings Raymond would rank below last place when it comes to spearheading a plot, right?' Karla says.
'That's why the Wyatt wants him to learn.' Kenny says, 'So what's it going to be then, eh? Alien, or other?'
'I'll pass, I have to snooze. And why don't you ever call your brother by his name? I've asked you that exact question endless times.'
'How do you know I'm referring to my eldest brother, and not my eldest sister?'
'I don't know, I've never met either of them, I guess it's because...maybe your brother sounds more like the person running the show?'
'Good point, he does. I'll show you our complete family portrait one day.' Kenny says, 'But right now, I have to see Alien, since we're only halfway there and I hate to waste a good two hours.'
'Do you never sleep when you travel?' Karla says skeptically.
'Never in flight.' Kenny smiles, and exits the room.
Karla looks over at Addy, peaceful in her sleep, in one of those rare times out of her wheelchair, still sitting, of course. Outside, light fills the atmosphere, and if it isn't for the burden carried in the cargo hold, these passengers can very well be traveling through the heavens.
'Bankrupt already? They've only had the company for...what was it? Half a century?' Karla replies. 'Not even one generation.'
'Well, I heard from Leo that it was the son's fault.' Raymond replies, chewing on a handful of Almonds.
'Oh? So who has the company now?' Karla asks, her brow tightens.
'Slimy old McMurphy got ahead of us, or else that would have been fifty billions worth of dollars straight into our hands. It's almost possible McMurphy planned the whole thing all along.'
'You think he's behind the attack on the isle too?' Karla says, 'And why are you still so laid back about this matter? Even you understood how serious this is.'
'I'm not laid back, simply assessing my situation calmly. Oh wait, I've completely forgotten about the steak! Bring it here!' Raymond declares. Karla sighs and brings a hand to her face in a facepalm. The flight captain, while the plane is in autopilot, quickly enters the cabin and delivers the steak on a platter.
'Thank you.' Raymond takes the platter and digs in.
'Checkmate.' Kenny says quietly. Moving his queen to sever the last escape route for Raymond's white king.
'You're finished.' Karla says to Raymond, who takes a look at the board, steak sauce dripping off his chin.
'Do you prefer suicide, or death by the bishop, the queen, or the castle?' Kenny says, another systematic win for him.
Raymond doesn't think twice before tipping over his king. 'I die with honor.' Raymond says, winks, laughs, and strides towards the kitchen cabin to finish his steak. 'Oh yeah, and I have it all planned out here.' He takes a folded sheet of paper from his pants pocket and lays it on the table. 'Still wondering why I don't worry?' He leaves the sentence hanging.
Kenny opens up the piece of paper. On it is scrawled the simple plan.
'We use our guise.' Kenny reads, 'That's all he has to say.' He puts down the piece of paper, these words he read out are the only words written on the page, in huge handwriting. 'What a surprise, I already know that.' He sighs and rubs his eyes.
'You do that a lot, you know.' Karla says, starting off a new conversation.
'I'm going to get new lenses soon, these ones are falling short. Five generations and no one but me ends up with bad eyesight, now that's pure work of the devil in the genes.'
Karla laughs, 'What about me? Am I not part of the family? Don't I have four eyes too?'
Kenny smiles, 'All depends on your definition of family, and by your definition, that makes two of us.' They slap each other a high five. 'But, I still have the shortest sight, and that title is mine to keep.' He puts on his glasses. 'Care to see Alien with me?'
'What? You want to see Alien while this situation is going on?' Karla gives him an incredulous look.
'Raymond has a plan right here, and if the Wyatt wants Raymond to learn, I'm happy to let him learn. This mission will be carried out with Raymond in the lead.' Kenny says, shrugs.
'You do understand that among your siblings Raymond would rank below last place when it comes to spearheading a plot, right?' Karla says.
'That's why the Wyatt wants him to learn.' Kenny says, 'So what's it going to be then, eh? Alien, or other?'
'I'll pass, I have to snooze. And why don't you ever call your brother by his name? I've asked you that exact question endless times.'
'How do you know I'm referring to my eldest brother, and not my eldest sister?'
'I don't know, I've never met either of them, I guess it's because...maybe your brother sounds more like the person running the show?'
'Good point, he does. I'll show you our complete family portrait one day.' Kenny says, 'But right now, I have to see Alien, since we're only halfway there and I hate to waste a good two hours.'
'Do you never sleep when you travel?' Karla says skeptically.
'Never in flight.' Kenny smiles, and exits the room.
Karla looks over at Addy, peaceful in her sleep, in one of those rare times out of her wheelchair, still sitting, of course. Outside, light fills the atmosphere, and if it isn't for the burden carried in the cargo hold, these passengers can very well be traveling through the heavens.
Monday, 23 April 2012
Dennis Raveley - chapter 10
Dennis is not sitting in the same compartment as the rest of the Wyatts for the duration of the ride, he feels rather alone. The van stops when Dennis is thirty-five away from reaching three thousand, he found the pass-time of counting to himself. After all, he sees only darkness, and hears nothing. he tried only once to take the blindfold and earmuffs off, only to find the knots that ties his blindfold and which also connects to the muffs unsolvable. Suddenly a hand touches his face, he flinches. The earmuffs are removed in so little time with such precision Dennis is absolutely bewildered.
'Hello Dennis, pleasant trip so far?' Raymond's voice speaks.
'I've nearly counted to three thousand.' Dennis replies.
'Ah, I do that too back when I had to wear a fold to every destination by van. Tell you what, I'm going to give you this.' Raymond presses something into his hand. An MP3.
'An MP3?' Dennis feels for confirmation, he is still blindfolded.
'Yes, it's Kenny's, the muffs can come off now, you can thank me for that, and the MP3.'
'Well, thank you.'
'You're more than welcome. Karla insisted she drive so we might arrive at the airport a little later, say ten minutes, and it's an hour's more drive.' Raymond says, he turns the MP3 on.
'I'll set the music to all songs and you can hear all that's on Kenny playlist, but be warned, there's so much John Williams, Alfred Newman, Jerry Goldsmith, John Barry, Howard Shore and God knows what other movie composers you'll get sick of it after half an hour, give or take. Unless of course, you're as big a film bluff as Kenny.'
'Probably not, but I like movies.'
'Alright, I'll tell Kenny to test your devotion sometime.'
'Okay....why have you stopped by the way?'
'Oh, it's a...bathroom break.' Raymond says. In the background, a noisy truck's engine can he heard starting and romping away.
'Can I go too?'
'Hold it 'till later, the washrooms here are a nasty space, you don't want to walk into one without an eye to see, on the other hand, not seeing is better.'
'Okay.' Dennis plugs the high-definition earphones into his ears, he does not recognize the first song until the one minute mark, when he identifies it as the theme music of Alien. By then, Raymond has exited the compartment and shut the door, the van has started moving again, and Dennis does not want to go to the washroom at all, he simply asked because he finds it odd that at a rest stop - if that's where they were at - he should hear the sound of rifle shots, in the time frame his ears are not muffed.
The music flows on, and several songs are quite good that Dennis fumbles with the buttons to replay them a few times. He reaches the E.T. theme song when the van grinds to a halt, the door to the compartment opens, and Raymond's hand reaches out, he voices announces, 'we've arrived!'
Dennis is lead, still without sight, towards the warm currents emitting from a small ultra-sonic jet, he can tell it is an open airfield and the time is already the early hours of a new day. Dennis feels fatigue creeping upwards from his joints. He yawns.
Raymond carries Dennis up the rest of the way and up the removable stairway to the interior of the plane. Dennis is already asleep, so Raymond puts him on a couch, and drapes a tablecloth over him. The jet has yet to fire up the heaters and the interior of the plane is chilly. Raymond whispers to Kenny, who enters behind him, 'I've always wanted a little brother like him.'
'And you know what Jerry would say to that.' Kenny replies.
'He'll say yeah, but you got me and Kenny instead, feel like carrying one of us up that plane?'
'Ha, good one.' Kenny, 'You know I'll say?'
'What?'
'Why don't you be a gentlebro and carry Addy up here too?'
'Geez! Am I my siblings' foot soldier?' Raymond gives Kenny an incredulous look.
'Quite.'
'Geez! Gotta be a slave on my own private jet! Now that's fair.!'
'It's ours too, and don't forget, Addy purchased it.'
'And I should also not forget, Karla bugged Addy into paying for it.' Raymond leans in a little closer, 'By the way, tell me, what do you find so intriguing in Karla that makes you come out of your cave?' Raymond looks towards the runway pavement, Addy, Karla, and the Driver are saying final goodbyes and making further arrangements.
Kenny is silent, he sighs, 'Ray, you're making a very dangerous guess right now.'
'I don't guess, I know.'
'In that case, you know very little indeed.' Kenny walks in the direction of the cockpit without another word.
'I don't guess, Kenny, I know! I'm your brother, what do I know that you don't about yourself?'
Karla has pushed Addy's chair to the stairway now, and Raymond sighs deeply. He strolls down to the pavement, bows his head, and declares, 'Raymond your servant at your service my dear sister.'
Addy smiles, amused, and Karla crosses her arms, 'Took you long enough!' She says.
'Hello Dennis, pleasant trip so far?' Raymond's voice speaks.
'I've nearly counted to three thousand.' Dennis replies.
'Ah, I do that too back when I had to wear a fold to every destination by van. Tell you what, I'm going to give you this.' Raymond presses something into his hand. An MP3.
'An MP3?' Dennis feels for confirmation, he is still blindfolded.
'Yes, it's Kenny's, the muffs can come off now, you can thank me for that, and the MP3.'
'Well, thank you.'
'You're more than welcome. Karla insisted she drive so we might arrive at the airport a little later, say ten minutes, and it's an hour's more drive.' Raymond says, he turns the MP3 on.
'I'll set the music to all songs and you can hear all that's on Kenny playlist, but be warned, there's so much John Williams, Alfred Newman, Jerry Goldsmith, John Barry, Howard Shore and God knows what other movie composers you'll get sick of it after half an hour, give or take. Unless of course, you're as big a film bluff as Kenny.'
'Probably not, but I like movies.'
'Alright, I'll tell Kenny to test your devotion sometime.'
'Okay....why have you stopped by the way?'
'Oh, it's a...bathroom break.' Raymond says. In the background, a noisy truck's engine can he heard starting and romping away.
'Can I go too?'
'Hold it 'till later, the washrooms here are a nasty space, you don't want to walk into one without an eye to see, on the other hand, not seeing is better.'
'Okay.' Dennis plugs the high-definition earphones into his ears, he does not recognize the first song until the one minute mark, when he identifies it as the theme music of Alien. By then, Raymond has exited the compartment and shut the door, the van has started moving again, and Dennis does not want to go to the washroom at all, he simply asked because he finds it odd that at a rest stop - if that's where they were at - he should hear the sound of rifle shots, in the time frame his ears are not muffed.
The music flows on, and several songs are quite good that Dennis fumbles with the buttons to replay them a few times. He reaches the E.T. theme song when the van grinds to a halt, the door to the compartment opens, and Raymond's hand reaches out, he voices announces, 'we've arrived!'
Dennis is lead, still without sight, towards the warm currents emitting from a small ultra-sonic jet, he can tell it is an open airfield and the time is already the early hours of a new day. Dennis feels fatigue creeping upwards from his joints. He yawns.
Raymond carries Dennis up the rest of the way and up the removable stairway to the interior of the plane. Dennis is already asleep, so Raymond puts him on a couch, and drapes a tablecloth over him. The jet has yet to fire up the heaters and the interior of the plane is chilly. Raymond whispers to Kenny, who enters behind him, 'I've always wanted a little brother like him.'
'And you know what Jerry would say to that.' Kenny replies.
'He'll say yeah, but you got me and Kenny instead, feel like carrying one of us up that plane?'
'Ha, good one.' Kenny, 'You know I'll say?'
'What?'
'Why don't you be a gentlebro and carry Addy up here too?'
'Geez! Am I my siblings' foot soldier?' Raymond gives Kenny an incredulous look.
'Quite.'
'Geez! Gotta be a slave on my own private jet! Now that's fair.!'
'It's ours too, and don't forget, Addy purchased it.'
'And I should also not forget, Karla bugged Addy into paying for it.' Raymond leans in a little closer, 'By the way, tell me, what do you find so intriguing in Karla that makes you come out of your cave?' Raymond looks towards the runway pavement, Addy, Karla, and the Driver are saying final goodbyes and making further arrangements.
Kenny is silent, he sighs, 'Ray, you're making a very dangerous guess right now.'
'I don't guess, I know.'
'In that case, you know very little indeed.' Kenny walks in the direction of the cockpit without another word.
'I don't guess, Kenny, I know! I'm your brother, what do I know that you don't about yourself?'
Karla has pushed Addy's chair to the stairway now, and Raymond sighs deeply. He strolls down to the pavement, bows his head, and declares, 'Raymond your servant at your service my dear sister.'
Addy smiles, amused, and Karla crosses her arms, 'Took you long enough!' She says.
Saturday, 21 April 2012
Dennis Raveley - chapter 9
Thirty seconds after Raymond charged out of the room, Dennis realizes that Raymond wasn't joking. Addy and Karla had left right after Raymond, and now Kenny is the only other person in the dining hall. Kenny, unperturbed, continues to scribble into a notepad.
'Wait, where are they going?'
'It's been decided, that Raymond is going to perform a small gig overseas.' Kenny says.
'A gig, you mean a concert performance?' Dennis asks.
'Not quite as large as a concert, merely five performers, a strings quintet.' Kenny continues, 'And Raymond's the concert master, as I'm sure he's told you.'
'Of a strings quintet?'
'He could concert the world's ten finest orchestras in one symphony if he wants to, but knowing that as a fact is good enough for him. He's that famous anyways.'
'I've never heard of a Raymond Wyatt in the music scene.'
'Ever heard of the Nuts Strings Quintet?'
'Yeah! The second greatest instrumental group in the world, what about it?'
'Raymond's in it, and correction, the Nuts Strings Quintet is actually the finest instrumental group in the world, but I paid the Guinness Book of World Records to put us in second place.'
'What do you mean?'
'Geniuses all learn to keep obscure over their career, earlier or later. On the Wikipedia page of the Nuts Strings Quintet, you find the names of the five siblings who founded the group, Clarissa, Reinhold, Jackson, Kenneth, and Alma Woodward, do you find the resemblance?'
'The same initials, Reinhold Woodward is Raymond Wyatt.'
'Yes, it's one of the oldest tricks in the book, Clarissa is Chelsea, Jackson is Jerry, Alma is Addy - what, are you surprised? - and Kenneth is me.'
'So what was all that about?'
'All what?'
'All that, why did Raymond charge out of the room like...like...'
'Like James Bond always does when the villain's threat becomes apparent?' Kenny completes his sentence.
'Exactly.'
'Do you want to hear a long story or a short condensation?'
'I prefer the details.'
'You don't have much of a choice, here's what I'll lay out: my older siblings Chelsea and Jerry (you'll meet them shortly, I promise) are overseas, on a vacation sort of deal. Raymond stays behind because he is too famous there, I stay behind because I'm busy, and Addy stays behind because she hates traveling and because Karla drops by pretty much at her will and if Addy's not here Raymond might get some ideas of his own.'
'Karla dropped a bazooka on his foot.'
'Good thing she did.' Kenny nods in acknowledgment, 'So Chelsea and Jerry got into a bit of trouble with the cops overseas (the news I got a few hours ago), a couple of people got injured, and they can't leave unless we go ourselves and bail them out, in the meantime, Raymond wants to do a small gig while we're there.'
'And who's Herman?' Dennis asks; that's the last bit of information he had heard from the conversation.
'Well, well, well, you have keen ears, I'm feeling a morsel of envy here, keen ears are most useful.' Kenny finishes his writing on the notepad, 'Herman's our agent, our estranged agent, to be precise. Come on, I believe the car is waiting.'
Kenny leads Dennis to the main entrance, where a large van is parked on the driveway, the Driver at the wheel. Everyone else is already in the van. Kenny produces a blindfold and earmuffs from his pocket.
'Why the blindfold, again?' Dennis sighs, not surprised though.
'You see, hear, and speak no evil.' Kenny says, seemingly at random, 'Just a quote from a Wes Craven movie, take it as a surprise.'
'I've barely arrived here.' Dennis looks back towards the mansion, feeling lost.
'This is how people of power navigate life, we're the wind, we shall never know our place.' Kenny smirks, 'Do you get the reference?'
'I have one last question.'
'Is it a question regarding fine films?'
'Close enough, what do you play?'
'In the quintet? I play the cello, the reason being, there's less emotional range to figure out.'
'Good point.' Dennis says, and finds his vision blackened out for the second time in twenty four hours, this time, he hears nothing either.
'Wait, where are they going?'
'It's been decided, that Raymond is going to perform a small gig overseas.' Kenny says.
'A gig, you mean a concert performance?' Dennis asks.
'Not quite as large as a concert, merely five performers, a strings quintet.' Kenny continues, 'And Raymond's the concert master, as I'm sure he's told you.'
'Of a strings quintet?'
'He could concert the world's ten finest orchestras in one symphony if he wants to, but knowing that as a fact is good enough for him. He's that famous anyways.'
'I've never heard of a Raymond Wyatt in the music scene.'
'Ever heard of the Nuts Strings Quintet?'
'Yeah! The second greatest instrumental group in the world, what about it?'
'Raymond's in it, and correction, the Nuts Strings Quintet is actually the finest instrumental group in the world, but I paid the Guinness Book of World Records to put us in second place.'
'What do you mean?'
'Geniuses all learn to keep obscure over their career, earlier or later. On the Wikipedia page of the Nuts Strings Quintet, you find the names of the five siblings who founded the group, Clarissa, Reinhold, Jackson, Kenneth, and Alma Woodward, do you find the resemblance?'
'The same initials, Reinhold Woodward is Raymond Wyatt.'
'Yes, it's one of the oldest tricks in the book, Clarissa is Chelsea, Jackson is Jerry, Alma is Addy - what, are you surprised? - and Kenneth is me.'
'So what was all that about?'
'All what?'
'All that, why did Raymond charge out of the room like...like...'
'Like James Bond always does when the villain's threat becomes apparent?' Kenny completes his sentence.
'Exactly.'
'Do you want to hear a long story or a short condensation?'
'I prefer the details.'
'You don't have much of a choice, here's what I'll lay out: my older siblings Chelsea and Jerry (you'll meet them shortly, I promise) are overseas, on a vacation sort of deal. Raymond stays behind because he is too famous there, I stay behind because I'm busy, and Addy stays behind because she hates traveling and because Karla drops by pretty much at her will and if Addy's not here Raymond might get some ideas of his own.'
'Karla dropped a bazooka on his foot.'
'Good thing she did.' Kenny nods in acknowledgment, 'So Chelsea and Jerry got into a bit of trouble with the cops overseas (the news I got a few hours ago), a couple of people got injured, and they can't leave unless we go ourselves and bail them out, in the meantime, Raymond wants to do a small gig while we're there.'
'And who's Herman?' Dennis asks; that's the last bit of information he had heard from the conversation.
'Well, well, well, you have keen ears, I'm feeling a morsel of envy here, keen ears are most useful.' Kenny finishes his writing on the notepad, 'Herman's our agent, our estranged agent, to be precise. Come on, I believe the car is waiting.'
Kenny leads Dennis to the main entrance, where a large van is parked on the driveway, the Driver at the wheel. Everyone else is already in the van. Kenny produces a blindfold and earmuffs from his pocket.
'Why the blindfold, again?' Dennis sighs, not surprised though.
'You see, hear, and speak no evil.' Kenny says, seemingly at random, 'Just a quote from a Wes Craven movie, take it as a surprise.'
'I've barely arrived here.' Dennis looks back towards the mansion, feeling lost.
'This is how people of power navigate life, we're the wind, we shall never know our place.' Kenny smirks, 'Do you get the reference?'
'I have one last question.'
'Is it a question regarding fine films?'
'Close enough, what do you play?'
'In the quintet? I play the cello, the reason being, there's less emotional range to figure out.'
'Good point.' Dennis says, and finds his vision blackened out for the second time in twenty four hours, this time, he hears nothing either.
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Dennis Raveley - chapter 8
Eventually, Dennis gets back up and goes back to the library, he stays there, thinking, until the Driver comes to the main entrance, knocks, and enters, holding the talkie Addy had used to talk to him on a platter.
'I guess you don't talk at all, do you?' Dennis says, without intent.
The Driver remains impassive. He is still wearing the very same trench coat, and his eyes never meet with Dennis. He gives the talkie to Dennis.
'Dennis! My friend. It is dinner time and we are dining on steak, yes, raw steak my friend, so prepare your stomach, and follow my instructions.' The voice this time is undoubtedly Raymond's.
'Alright then,' Dennis can not think of anything else to say, 'How is the state of your foot?'
'Ah, rather ugly. You see, two sacks of flour is not quite the same when it is iron, a large portion of it has gone rather purplish, which, as you probably do know, signifies considerable hemorrhage under the skin.'
'I see.'
'You have a good visual sense of intelligence then, now, enough chitchat, I want you to come to the grand dining room at once, so I may have a support flank for this evening's continued sparring.'
'Okay.' Dennis says, rubbing his head where the hardcover War and Peace had hit him.
Dennis enters the grand dining room, which is the size of a small backyard, and finds Raymond already seated on the far end, Addy with her wheelchair parked on the left side, and directly opposite her is Karla. Raymond's one foot is stationed onto a second chair, under a large icepack.
Dennis hesitates at the door before entering. Addy greets him with a raised hand and a slight smile, Karla stares at him from the corner of her eyes, and Raymond is not looking up at tall; he appears to be reading.
Dennis sits down on the other chair next to Raymond, and discovers that he is reading sheet music, very complex sheet music. Raymond catches him staring.
'Do you play?' Raymond asks, in the first serious tone Dennis has heard at all since he met him.
'The guitar, what do you play?'
'Depends, how much do you want to know?'
'I don't know, give me everything.'
'Alphabetically, the accordion, the bass, the cello, the fiddle, the harp, the horn, the saxophone, the snare, the trumpet, the tuba, the viola, the violin, and the xylophone. But violin's my specialty, I'm a concert master.'
'And that's also the only thing he can brag about.' Karla says from down the long table.
'So you're a prodigy.'
'Of course I am, and Karl, that's not the only thing I can brag about, when it comes to sharpshooting, I can beat you any day -" Raymond is interrupted, his shifted gaze directs everyone to a new arrival standing in the doorway, a slim, lean, brown-haired, weary-eyed teenager in a dark plaid shirt and very loose, very gray jeans that might be mistaken for sweatpants. Unlike a popular fashion trend these days, his shirt is tucked into his pants, which are quite high themselves. Though his appearance is vastly different from both Raymond and Addy, the atmosphere he carries clearly defines him as a member of the Wyatt family.
'Kenny! What brings you to dinner?' Raymond asks with bemusement. Addy and Karla, on the other hand, seems to recognize the appearance of Kendrick Wyatt as the harbinger of an event much more urgent.
'Certainly not the steak.' Kenny replies, and rubs his eyes under thick, heavy-framed compact lenses.
'Oh? Of course, the last time you had steak the tablecloths had to be detoxified by professionals, certainly not that. So what can it be?' Raymond toys with the question, intent on not divulging into the subject matter Kenny came to bring, 'Is it the loneliness of spending every hour in the garage? Is it the wine that made you tap dance on the dinner table last time you came by? Is it, oh, good heavens! Is it Karla?'
'No, no, and no to your uneducated hypothesis respectively, Ray, I've come bearing news.' Kenny sighs as he says this, though not as deeply as he would have had Karla not be present at this time.
'Go ahead, what is it?' Karla cuts off Raymond's next remark, and asks.
'Jerry sent a message, I've just received it on the W.I.C., he can't come back on the schedule, things have been compromised.'
'How so?' Karla answers.
'Chelsea did meet up with Herman, but there was an intervention by a third party, so Chelsea fled to the isle. Jerry said they were pursued and now they're searching off the mainland, they're trapped on the isle.'
'Where are they?' Raymond suddenly speaks, he is now very serious, his expression speaks only concern.
'At the Spacescrapper.' Kenny replies, he walks over and slides a map across the table to Raymond.
'And they can't get off the island by private transport?'
'Unlikely, the yacht house was bombed, three agents missing, one dead, found in the canal, execution-style.'
'I'll alert the W., tell the seaplane to head for the isle in twelve hours.'
'You're in charge, Ray.' Kenny nods, 'Is everyone coming?'
'You bet.'
'Wait a minute,' Kenny turns to Dennis, picks his hands up, and shakes them, 'I'm Kenny of the Wyatt family, you're Dennis Raveley, good to meet you, your father is a great man.'
'Thanks...and good to meet you too.' Dennis says.
'We're about the same age, I see, good, this calls for an elaboration, though not now, not today, very well, carry on.' These last words are for Raymond.
'Alright, it's set. Everybody, pack your bags, take up arms, we're going overseas!' Raymond charges out of the room supported by a cane, his head reappears a few moments later, 'Take the steak onto the plane, my hunger is yet quenched.'
'I guess you don't talk at all, do you?' Dennis says, without intent.
The Driver remains impassive. He is still wearing the very same trench coat, and his eyes never meet with Dennis. He gives the talkie to Dennis.
'Dennis! My friend. It is dinner time and we are dining on steak, yes, raw steak my friend, so prepare your stomach, and follow my instructions.' The voice this time is undoubtedly Raymond's.
'Alright then,' Dennis can not think of anything else to say, 'How is the state of your foot?'
'Ah, rather ugly. You see, two sacks of flour is not quite the same when it is iron, a large portion of it has gone rather purplish, which, as you probably do know, signifies considerable hemorrhage under the skin.'
'I see.'
'You have a good visual sense of intelligence then, now, enough chitchat, I want you to come to the grand dining room at once, so I may have a support flank for this evening's continued sparring.'
'Okay.' Dennis says, rubbing his head where the hardcover War and Peace had hit him.
Dennis enters the grand dining room, which is the size of a small backyard, and finds Raymond already seated on the far end, Addy with her wheelchair parked on the left side, and directly opposite her is Karla. Raymond's one foot is stationed onto a second chair, under a large icepack.
Dennis hesitates at the door before entering. Addy greets him with a raised hand and a slight smile, Karla stares at him from the corner of her eyes, and Raymond is not looking up at tall; he appears to be reading.
Dennis sits down on the other chair next to Raymond, and discovers that he is reading sheet music, very complex sheet music. Raymond catches him staring.
'Do you play?' Raymond asks, in the first serious tone Dennis has heard at all since he met him.
'The guitar, what do you play?'
'Depends, how much do you want to know?'
'I don't know, give me everything.'
'Alphabetically, the accordion, the bass, the cello, the fiddle, the harp, the horn, the saxophone, the snare, the trumpet, the tuba, the viola, the violin, and the xylophone. But violin's my specialty, I'm a concert master.'
'And that's also the only thing he can brag about.' Karla says from down the long table.
'So you're a prodigy.'
'Of course I am, and Karl, that's not the only thing I can brag about, when it comes to sharpshooting, I can beat you any day -" Raymond is interrupted, his shifted gaze directs everyone to a new arrival standing in the doorway, a slim, lean, brown-haired, weary-eyed teenager in a dark plaid shirt and very loose, very gray jeans that might be mistaken for sweatpants. Unlike a popular fashion trend these days, his shirt is tucked into his pants, which are quite high themselves. Though his appearance is vastly different from both Raymond and Addy, the atmosphere he carries clearly defines him as a member of the Wyatt family.
'Kenny! What brings you to dinner?' Raymond asks with bemusement. Addy and Karla, on the other hand, seems to recognize the appearance of Kendrick Wyatt as the harbinger of an event much more urgent.
'Certainly not the steak.' Kenny replies, and rubs his eyes under thick, heavy-framed compact lenses.
'Oh? Of course, the last time you had steak the tablecloths had to be detoxified by professionals, certainly not that. So what can it be?' Raymond toys with the question, intent on not divulging into the subject matter Kenny came to bring, 'Is it the loneliness of spending every hour in the garage? Is it the wine that made you tap dance on the dinner table last time you came by? Is it, oh, good heavens! Is it Karla?'
'No, no, and no to your uneducated hypothesis respectively, Ray, I've come bearing news.' Kenny sighs as he says this, though not as deeply as he would have had Karla not be present at this time.
'Go ahead, what is it?' Karla cuts off Raymond's next remark, and asks.
'Jerry sent a message, I've just received it on the W.I.C., he can't come back on the schedule, things have been compromised.'
'How so?' Karla answers.
'Chelsea did meet up with Herman, but there was an intervention by a third party, so Chelsea fled to the isle. Jerry said they were pursued and now they're searching off the mainland, they're trapped on the isle.'
'Where are they?' Raymond suddenly speaks, he is now very serious, his expression speaks only concern.
'At the Spacescrapper.' Kenny replies, he walks over and slides a map across the table to Raymond.
'And they can't get off the island by private transport?'
'Unlikely, the yacht house was bombed, three agents missing, one dead, found in the canal, execution-style.'
'I'll alert the W., tell the seaplane to head for the isle in twelve hours.'
'You're in charge, Ray.' Kenny nods, 'Is everyone coming?'
'You bet.'
'Wait a minute,' Kenny turns to Dennis, picks his hands up, and shakes them, 'I'm Kenny of the Wyatt family, you're Dennis Raveley, good to meet you, your father is a great man.'
'Thanks...and good to meet you too.' Dennis says.
'We're about the same age, I see, good, this calls for an elaboration, though not now, not today, very well, carry on.' These last words are for Raymond.
'Alright, it's set. Everybody, pack your bags, take up arms, we're going overseas!' Raymond charges out of the room supported by a cane, his head reappears a few moments later, 'Take the steak onto the plane, my hunger is yet quenched.'
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