What With One Thing Or Another
Emmy showed no desire to get out of bed in the morning, so I had Wally give me a ride to the compound first thing. I figured I could get a good workout in with the training center's gym facilities and talk with Michael about how things are coming along. Sure, he'd given Emmy and me a tour the day before, but I wanted to see the space that was going to be my property management office and talk about our plans for the rest of the compound.
Things that Emmy would have had no interest in at all, in other words.
The gym facilities were completely abandoned when I got there and started my workout, but after a while a few people trickled in, and when word got out I was training there was a sudden rush. A few others pretended to be there to get their workouts in, but most of the heavies made no effort to hide the fact they were there to watch me.
Hey, if I could provide inspiration, I was fine with it. Knowing I was performing for an audience, I put in extra effort and intensity, ignoring the onlookers.
Ted Mack, one of the ex-Marines that Grant had brought on board to help train our people, eventually came over to talk to me.
"Leah, you always work out like this?" he asked.
"Not always," I admitted. "I don't usually have a gym this size all to myself."
Ted laughed, looking around at all the spectators. "Yeah, seems like everybody is here for your gun show, alright. Hey, um, I'd normally start working with my students in bladed combat about this time, and well… I keep hearing you're pretty good with a knife. Wanna do some demos with me?"
"Yeah, I could do that," I agreed, setting my weights back in the rack. "Give me five and I'll be ready."
I toweled off while Ted announced that he and I were going to demonstrate some knife technique work and everybody should gather in the pit.
"Pit?" I asked Eddie, who was one of the boldest of the spectators in that he was close enough to hand me a water bottle.
"It's just what that area over there is called," he said, pointing off to one side of the large open space. "I don't know why."
"Sounds like a Grant thing," I said, rolling my eyes.
Once Ted and I geared up and faced off, he said to the onlookers, "I'm told that Leah is pretty handy with a knife, right? So I'm gonna be a little bit cautious. Always take a moment to evaluate your opponent- don't just rush in. Look for their open areas, then lunge in!" he said, doing just that. I caught his wrist, spun him around and ran my plastic blade across his throat.
Ruefully rubbing his neck, Ted said, "Well, I got my ass handed to me just then, didn't I?" which earned him a laugh from the assembled crowd.
We took our positions again, and once again, he missed me but I got him up under the ribs.
"I'm starting to understand what Sgt Henry and Mr Han have been saying," Ted said, shaking his head. "It's like you don't even move or something. You're just already there."
"Queen Leah is very, very fast," Hayate Oshida said, translating for Mr Kanawa, who'd come to watch.
Ted and I squared off again, and the results were the same.
"Well," Ted said to the watching crowd. "This was instructive in one way and a total bust in another. What have we learned from this?" he asked, pointing to one of the people watching.
"Never fight Queen Leah," the guy replied.
"Give the man a prize," Ted said. "Going against an obviously superior adversary is nothing but a quick death. Leah here could probably take half this room before we finally got her."
"She wouldn't get me," Nick said, raising his hand.
"No?" Ted asked.
"I'm a very fast runner," Nick said, earning himself a laugh.
"Anyways," Ted said, after the laughter died down. "I wanted to show you guys some moves, but Leah here shot that down." Turning to our Japanese guests, he said, "Mr Kanawa-San, do you have any insights on how to go up against somebody like Leah?"
The old man spoke, and Hayate translated. "Do you know how our ancestors fought the samurai? The most highly trained warriors in ancient Japan?"
"No clue," Ted admitted.
"They didn't," Mr Kanawa told him. "There was no way to beat them in a straight fight. So that is not what we ever did." Looking around at the assembled group, Mr Kanawa continued. "I am not here to teach you how to fight. You have excellent instructors for that already. I am here to teach you how to gather intelligence and inflict damage on the enemy without them ever knowing you were there. That is the true ninjutsu."
"Mr Kanawa honors us with his knowledge and experience in the ancient arts perfected by his ancestors," I said. "Yes, I want you all to continue to learn to fight- it has proven on more than one occasion to be important. That said, our success here in New York against our enemies had more to do with our very successful information-gathering beforehand than it had to do with our skill with knives. Those of you who were involved in that operation know it to be true. We knew where and when to catch them by surprise, and how to cover our tracks." I looked around, and saw at least half the group nodding.
"Our next challenge might not happen in an environment we can control so completely. For this, we need you to learn to operate in the field- safely, carefully, and without ever being noticed by our adversaries. This is what Mr Kanawa is here to teach us. The art of invisibility. This is our path to success."
I looked at everyone again, taking my time to make eye contact with each in turn.
"I have experienced it first hand," I said. "A student of his was close enough to clearly listen in on a conversation I thought was private, in a wide-open public space, and neither I, nor any of the guys I had with me, ever recognized we were being spied on. This is the skill you need to learn. This is how we will win wars."
Everyone was silent for a while, taking in what I'd just said.
"Queen Leah," one of the assembled crowd asked, raising her hand. I recognized her, but didn't know her name. When I nodded, she asked her question. "Do you… do you think we will have to fight more wars?" She sounded nervous and maybe a little afraid, but I didn't hear any unwillingness in her voice.
"I hope not," I answered. "We never asked for our fights in Vancouver, Chicago, Atlanta or New York. We didn't go seeking conflict, but it found us. We were taken by surprise in two of those fights, which resulted in losses on our side. We prevailed, but at a cost. The other two- we were better prepared than our foes and we wiped them out completely. This is what I want- to be better prepared than our enemies. If we are truly in the best possible position there will be little to no fighting at all."
"What Leah and Kanawa-San said is the absolute truth," Ted said. "Intelligence wins wars. The most successful war is one that never happens in the first place."
I spent the next hour talking with all the heavies, meeting quite a few for the first time. My workout was totally derailed, but that was O.K. This was important, too.
After changing back into my professional attire I went in search of Michael in the front office. The two of us wandered the complete property, including the third-story area that was being prepped for my property management and other offices. The space was huge for what would be needed at first, but I wanted room to grow into.
We even went back to the tour bus company's offices, where Michael introduced me as the new owner of the entire block. The lady who introduced herself as the company owner seemed worried that I was there to end the lease or increase the rent, but I assured her that I was happy with the current arrangement. I spoke with her for quite a while about her tour bus company, and hinted that I might be willing to invest if she wanted. I also made it clear that I viewed the maintenance of the infrastructure as very important and she shouldn't hesitate to let us know of any issues with the structure.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
"What actually is this?" I asked as Michael showed me around an overgrown garden-like area surrounded by tall brick walls with bricked-up windows.
"It was some sort of warehouse or something like that a hundred and fifty years ago, when all of this was new," Michael explained as we picked our way past what seemed to be an empty reflecting pool. "At some point the roof caved in, or burned- who knows anymore?" he said with a shrug. "Some time after that somebody converted this now empty space into a garden of sorts, but it has been left to grow wild for decades now."
"Restore it," I told him. "No rush, but have all this cleaned up, the pool repaired, and make this space into a nice, relaxing area for workers to have their lunch here. Some tables and chairs, that sort of thing. In fact, let's build out a little cafe, maybe a beer garden. Talk to Sandy back in LA about developing it as a local destination. We have a ton of unused space, and this neighborhood is on an upward trajectory. Even if it only ever winds up benefitting our people, it's still something."
Michael nodded, looking around the enclosed garden. "Yes…" he said, thinking about how it could work.
Back home for lunch, I found Emmy up in her little recording studio working on a melody. With her guitar in her lap and her musical notepad on a little table beside her, she was the very picture of concentration, focused on her music.
I watched her through the producer's window for a few minutes, admiring her creative talent. Of course I could hear what she was playing because it was piped into the production room, but she couldn't hear me at all. I waited until she seemed at a pause before rapping on the glass to get her attention.
"Leah!" she said, her smile bright when she looked up and saw me.
"Want lunch?" I asked, but when I saw no recognition on her face I remembered and pushed the red button. I repeated my question, and she set down her instrument.
"Yes, that would be lovely," she said.
Luisa was probably teaching, so I made Emmy and myself some turkey sandwiches with what I found in the fridge in the enormous kitchen. I idly thought about how Emmy had wanted the house because the kitchen facilities were capable of hosting very large parties, but we hadn't actually held any there yet.
"We are going to Michael's new apartment for dinner, yes?" Emmy asked as we ate in the sun room.
"Yeah, six thirty," I confimed.
"Where is his new house?"
"Pretty much just on the other side of the Brooklyn Bridge," I told her.
"The compound is in Brooklyn, too, correct?" Emmy asked. "Is Michael's home close?"
"Close-ish," I said, doing the 'more or less' thing with my hand. "It's a couple of miles away from the compound. Close enough for most things, but far enough away that there's a good amount of separation."
"How does he get back and forth?"
"Drives, I guess," I said. "I've told him that he can have a driver if he wants, but he's said it isn't necessary. I have told him that I want him to travel with security, though."
Emmy nodded, thinking about it. "It was a stroke of luck meeting him that night in Berkeley."
"It really was," I agreed.
"What do you know about Vivian?" Emmy asked.
"I know that she met Michael at a grocery store, and I know she worked for a company that installed solar panels as a scheduler. Michael said she got her degree at Humboldt State, but if he ever told me what it was in, I forgot. She was married and has a little daughter, but the divorce was ugly. The ex apparently has no desire to be part of little Amy's life. Michael is very fond of Amy and has mentioned that he could see a life with Vivian, if that's what she wants," I said, thinking about the various conversations I'd had with Michael over the last year plus.
"If she quit her job to move to New York with him, that must mean that she feels the same way."
"Yeah," I agreed. "When we first talked about Michael moving to the East Coast he was worried what a long-distance relationship would be like, but the fact that she not only followed him but moved in with him is huge."
"And you have not met her yet?"
"No, I haven't," I admitted. "I've heard a lot about her and seen photos, but that's it."
"She is not a Night Child, correct?" Emmy asked.
"No, she isn't. She's third or fourth generation Chinese-American," I replied, fishing my phone out of my pocket to find the photos that Michael had sent me.
"She is pretty," Emmy said, examining the picture of Vivian and Amy with Michael and Jassie at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. "She looks happy."
"From what I've read between the lines, Michael is a huge trade up from her ex-husband."
"Leah, it is difficult for me to express how pleased this makes me," Emmy said, handing my phone back. "Of course I am overjoyed that Michael is finding happiness, but to hear that it is a day walker woman that he met doing normal day walker things… This is a breakthrough."
"From what I understand, there has been some grumbling from other Night Children that he's straying out of the fold," I said, leaning back. "Some of the Night Children women resent that he hasn't looked their way, to put it bluntly."
"It sorrows me to hear that, but at the same time I think I can understand," Emmy said, looking thoughtful. "He is successful-perhaps the most so of our new nation. He is well-spoken, handsome, and has your trust. He is the most desirable male in the continent."
"Maybe," I said. "I guess I wouldn't know, since I don't desire males much at all. In fact, my desire for females is pretty limited, too- to just one. One that I happen to be having lunch with at this very moment, to my great satisfaction."
Emmy smiled and rubbed her bare foot on my leg. "That was cheesy, but I love it anyhow," she said.
"I love you anyhow," I replied, leaning across the table for a kiss.
Wally dropped us off in front of the fairly new condo building sandwiched between the Brooklyn Bridge Park and the street. I'd seen pictures, sure, but in person it looked better than I'd thought.
At the front desk they said that we were expected and guided us to the elevator. To their credit, nobody at the desk even blinked at Emmy De Lascaux walking in the front door, but they clearly knew who we were.
The unit's front door was on the top floor, but when Michael ushered us in I realized that the condo occupied the fourth and fifth floor- the entry was on the unit's upper level.
"Emmy!" shouted Jassie, wrapping my wife in a big hug. Jassie was still small, maybe five foot two at the most and with a petite build, but she was a college freshman and of voting age now.
Vivian and Amy were holding back, waiting to be introduced. Vivian was smiling at Jassie's exuberance, but then again, so was I.
Once all the introductions were made and the obligatory tour finished, we settled down in the upper level's living room.
"There are beautiful views of Manhattan's skyline on nice days," Vivian explained, pointing at the two-story windows facing the island. "You can sort of see the lights tonight, but…"
"It's so cold here!" little Amy said. "It's freezing!"
"Yes, it is much colder here than in the South Bay," Emmy agreed. "But that just gives you the opportunity to wear cute sweaters."
"Ame," Jassie said, "If you think it's cold here, come up to where my school is. Way, way colder. We got snow last week!"
"Hey, Jass," I said. "Where is Addison? I thought she'd be here with you guys."
"Her first Christmas break? Are you kidding? She's back home in Sunnyvale," Jassie said, rolling her eyes at my ignorance.
"How is school going?" I asked.
"Good," Jassie said. "Really good, actually. We're both having a great time."
"I like my new school, too," Amy volunteered. "I have lots of new friends."
Vivian appeared a little mortified at her daughter's boldness, but I had no problem with it, and neither did Emmy.
"I like the uniforms we have to wear, too," Amy added.
"School uniforms make it easy to decide what to wear," Emmy agreed.
"I know!" Amy agreed, her eyes wide.
Amused by the exchange, I caught Vivian's eye and gave her a smile. She'd seemed a bit nervous at meeting her boyfriend's boss and a famous rock star, but she was slowly loosening up.
Emmy was right- Vivian was pretty, with an engaging smile and an attractive, slender figure. She also had a good sense of humor, which shone when she told the story of how she and Michael had actually met.
"So, I was shopping at the Whole Foods on McKinley, and I saw this guy," she said, indicating Michael. "The second thing that struck me about him was a sense of dignity he carried, you know? I mean, here's a guy shopping for groceries, wearing what looked like a very nice three-piece suit, minus the jacket- so a nice shirt, a real classy vest and trousers. Everybody else in the place is in T shirts, leggings, Ugg boots, that kind of thing, and rushing around, but here was this tall, very dark and handsome guy dressed far too nicely for the task, unhurriedly pushing a cart up and down the aisles, right?"
Smiling at the memory, Vivian took a sip of her wine and continued. "I was kinda curious- well, actually, more than just kinda. I started inventing scenarios in my mind, you know? My favorite was that he was a visiting diplomat and wanted to see and experience the real Sunnyvale lifestyle?" she said, raising her pitch at the end of the sentence as if it were a question. "I just had to know more, so I saw my chance in the produce section. He was examining the vegetables, so I just sorta barged in and blurted out the first thing that came to mind."
"She asked me what the heck is a daikon, anyway, and what do you do with them?" Michael said with a laugh.
"He turns to me, holding out the one he was looking at and says in this very calm, measured tone, "What can't you do? They're good roasted, or in salads or soup. They're great in sandwiches, too," he said. "So I wound up filling up a bag and buying, like, two pounds of the things, after he shows me how to pick out good ones. The next few days, I'm trying daikons in all sorts of recipes I found online and he was absolutely right!"
We all laughed at the story, but then Vivian continued. "So, maybe two weeks later I'm at the Starbucks by my apartment when Michael and Jassie came in. I'm sitting there, trying to think up an excuse to talk to him, when he comes over to where I'm sitting. 'Did you enjoys the daikons?' he asks, just like that. I just about fell out of my chair, but I rallied and said something like, 'you were right- they are great in soup.' Next thing you know we're talking recipes."
"And what with one thing or another," I prompted.
"And what with one thing or another, soon Amy and I are having dinner at their townhouse. Michael's an amazing cook!"
"I am very glad for the two of you," Emmy said. "The four of you," she quickly corrected. "It seems as if things are going well. How do you like living in New York?"
"Well, it's only been a couple of weeks now here since we got the keys- we really haven't even fully moved in yet," Vivian replied. "We still need to decorate, but at least we have all the basic furniture sorted out."
"We have this giant wall we need to do something with," Michael said, indicating the two-story tall south wall of the living room.
"It's just too much white space," Vivian agreed. "But I don't want to just put up framed travel poster reproductions or something to fill it, you know? It needs something that means something."
"I still like the idea of a mural," Jassie said as we all pondered the plain white wall.