Free The Godgame (The Godgame, Book 1) by Keith Deininger Page A

huh?”
    “A little.”
    “Good. That’s good. She’s always been a quiet one, your wife, but strong; I can tell. And pretty too, if you don’t mind me saying so. I know some in town have never trusted her, because, you know...she’s different. But it’d be a shame to lose her.”
    Josef looked at Daryn. “She’ll be fine.”
    Daryn came over and clapped him on the back. “Of course she will. And don’t worry about your son. It’s like I said, even if the Talosians come all the way out here, what are they gonna find? Nothing. We’ve lived in peace all these years because we have nothing those greedy sons-of-bitches would want. They leave us alone and we leave them alone. Everything’s going to be fine.”
    Josef smiled at his friend. He truly appreciated Daryn’s efforts to comfort him. “Of course,” he said. “Of course everything’s going to be fine.”
     
    ~
     
    Mother Marlena came in the early afternoon, her strange robes wrapping her stocky frame like a writhing mist. She climbed the steps and her bulbous head peeked through the doorway. “Are you alone?”
    Josef glanced across the room at Daryn, “I think it’s time for a lunch break, don’t you?”
    “Sounds great,” Daryn said. “My wife packed me some leftovers, if you’d like to join me. She makes a hell of a meat pie. More than enough…” He stopped himself when he saw Mother Marlena in the doorway. “I’ll just… Maybe I’ll go home for lunch. I’ll see you in a little while.” He put his tools down and moved toward the back of the store.
    Josef heard the back door open and then close.
    Mother Marlena stepped into his shop. Her huge, watery eyes blinked. She smacked her lips, licking them moist with her tongue. “I’ve come for it,” she said.
    Josef took a step back. “Yes,” he said, forgetting everything he’d meant to say. He wanted to ask her some questions, to confront her about the medicine for his wife, but instead he walked to his storage closet. He fumbled the key from his pocket, and pulled the rusty padlock free.
    Inside rested the item he’d been making for Mother Marlena: an ironwood cane meticulously shaped to give it a flowing appearance, twisting from one end to the other and topped with a gnarled knot Josef had carved into a screaming face, its open mouth turned upward and hollow. He reached his hand out for it, then stopped, hesitating. He shouldn’t give it to her until he knew for sure his wife was getting better. What if the medicine the witch had given him was nothing but mud? What if the witch was tricking him? He was too trusting; he had to remind himself to be wary of people and not let them take advantage of his good nature. He closed the door and replaced the lock. He turned back to Mother Marlena, palming the key awkwardly, dropping his fists by his sides.
    The old woman came forward. “Do you have it?”
    “It’s...not ready yet.”
    The old woman’s brow furrowed. “You told me to come today.”
    Josef licked his lips. “I… Yes, but…my wife...”
    “You wife?” Mother Marlena smiled and darted up to him, surprisingly light on her feet considering her size and figure.
    Josef tried not to cringe, but Mother Marlena was mian (a descendent of the original known as Mia) and her facial features were grotesquely large. Even in Nova, where diversity was common, Josef found Mother Marlena’s appearance disconcerting. He had met people of many different geneses, but none quite like Mother Marlena, who was the only mian he’d ever seen. He, of course, was the last person to judge anyone on appearance alone, since he was, after all, married to a woman from a genesis different from his own, and he had children by her, something strictly forbidden by the hallowgeons and, by association, the Talosians. But the darker skin of his wife was nothing compared with Mother Marlena’s features: her head nearly the same size as her squat and muscular body; constantly watering eyes like gelatinous