50

I went over to the Northumberland Inn and got four rooms, and paid cash, then I left Cobb at the motel and went and got Kevin and Kent, who'd gotten out of surgery. I gave them their room keys and drove them back out to the motel. The night was spectacular with the northern lights in their full glory, a luminous greenish curtain across the sky that undulated like waves lapping against a shoreline. That's one thing the magick did right. WIth less light, you could see more stars at night, and I never got tired of them.
As I was standing there, Cobb walked over from the small field behind the motel. “Having trouble sleeping, or still upset about us not doing it your way Cobb. How about you do this. Stay out of the way and let us do what we're here for and then you do what you volunteered to do.” He glared at me but made no comment and walked over to where I was and looked up at the sky momentarily, and then back over to me. “Is that all it takes to distract you? No wonder this has been such a tedium. If humans could focus, this would have been over and done days ago.”
“You are fucking kidding me!” I screamed at him. “Focus? You wouldn't know what the word means Cobb, you've been wating for us to finish this, and did you ever bother to think it might be good to help out? No. All I got from you was an atempt to walk in and take the job over when the work was done! What's the matter, no answer for that?” I snarled in his face and he took an involuntary step back. I followed, angry and poked a finger in his chest. “You have been trying to get me thrown off this service ever since I accepted it! You wanted Larry Potter? You ever thought to ASK for his help rather than trying to use me to trap him into it? That pretty well guarantees you're not going to get no matter what now.” I glared at him again, and waited.
Cobb looked at me, and I watched all emotions get dragged away from his face and all I saw after a moment was a face made of wax. “You do not understand, and you never will” he said in a flat, unemotional voice. “You do not have the intellect, nor the maturity.” “Why you pompous, idiotic cretin of a fae!” I clamped my mouth shut. He was goading me into this arguement. Why?
The easy answer was he was trying to get me to say something in a heat of moment he could lever me with. I'd had enough and turned and stalked angrily back to my room. I heard Cobb say something, but I was focusing only on getting to my room without going back and trying to rip him apart verbally. The slamming door was like an opening bell in a boxing match, and I went and beat on the bed and the pillows for I don't know how long cursing and snarling ant them until I was near collapsed from the anger and the activity. I had no clue why Cobb wanted to work me up so badly, but I was certain it had to do with the service. He was hiding something and I wanted to know what it was.

#

The next morning I put my pack in the car and knocked on Kevin's door. He answered sleepily and opened it as far as the security chain would allow. “Fern, what's up?” he said sleepily. “How's your arm Kevin?” He disappeared behind the door for a moment, and I heard him tear something. “Huh” I heard, and he re-appeared in the chained doorway. “It's sealed over and there's no pain. Doc did a good job.” He closed the door, and I heard some things being moved around. “I think I'm ready to go Fern, let's hit it after breakfast.” “Okay, see you then.” I stepped a few paces to my right and started to knock on Kent's door when it pulled open and Kent was there, dressed and ready to go.
“I'll just throw this in the trunk then and we'll be off to breakfast.” he said with a smile. He carried his duffel over to the car and waited for me to open the trunk, and flipped it in just beside mine. “You think they have espresso out here?” I shuddered theatrically. “Ugh, barbarian, you're trying to eat your stomach away?” He chuckled and said, smiling, “I'll have you know that espresso is the penultimate civilized drink. All the caffeine that you'll need for a day in one four ounce cup. Saves time and water.” “I stick with my beliefs, you won't see me touch that vile concoction.” I told him.