Free Council of Peacocks by M Joseph Murphy

was
pierced with a small hooped earring constructed of surgical steel.
The only other jewelry he wore was a simple medallion with the
symbol for his birth sign – Aries – bound around his neck with a
thin piece of raw leather. He had worn the same loose-fit jeans and
light blue T-shirt for three days now. His face was pale and
bloodless with dark circles around his eyes. It made his bright
green eyes seem all the more unnatural.
    When he stepped off the bus, he saw a
six-foot tall woman standing beside a black Hummer. She had broad,
imposing shoulders and her skin was nearly as pale as David’s. Her
hair was a sharp blond crop cut, making her look militant and
feminine at the same time. Despite the heat, she wore a dark blue
turtleneck that matched the bruising on her face.
    ‘That’ll be Wisdom’s assistant,’ he thought
as he struggled to pick up his canvas bag from under the bus.
According to the letter David had received, her name was Elaine
Radegund. As he walked toward her, she opened the door to the
backseat.
    “You’re late,” Elaine said. She grabbed his
bag with one hand and threw the bulky weight effortlessly into the
backseat. “Get in.”
    David tensed, thought of a thousand ways to
respond to how rude she was, but in the end said nothing. He slid
in and let her close the door. His eyes fell on the driver and he
held his breath. The driver was well over seven feet tall, with
shoulders like a human pit bull. There was nothing vague about his
hostility. As soon as Elaine snapped her seatbelt, the driver took
off.
    They drove in silence for several blocks
before David’s skin started to itch.
    ‘Someone is watching me.’
    He turned slowly to look behind him. Two
prepubescent girls stared back at him. They wore identical black
skirt suits. One was Asian, the other Caucasian with blond hair and
blue eyes. He saw in their eyes why they were there.
‘Protection.’
    “This one can read our minds,” the Asian girl
said. “He’s stronger than he looks.” She looked to be about ten
years old. David noticed she was wearing lipstick and mascara. He
hoped that his employer was not using them for more than one type
of job.
    “Don’t be a pervert,” the blond girl said.
“We work for him the same way you do.”
    “She means the way you might work for
him if you pass the test.” The Asian girl jutted out her chest in a
way that would have shown off her breasts if she had any. There was
something monstrous about the two of them.
    The Asian girl spat at him.
    He wiped it from his cheek.
    “We’re no more monsters than you are. Now
stop talking to us.”
    ‘They heard my thoughts,’ David thought.
‘How’s that possible? Are they like me? Wisdom said he knew all
about me, what I could do. He said he could train me but I never
expected this. How many others like me are there?’
    He turned back to the girls, questioning them
with a look.
    They stared at each other for a moment, as if
holding a detailed conversation. Finally, the blond-haired girl
turned back to him. “You’ll find out soon enough. Now stop talking
to us. Don’t make me say it again.”
    “Play nice,” Elaine said. “Back down and keep
up the surveillance.”
    The blond-haired girl, Jessica, glared out
the window. The Asian girl reached out and held Jessica’s hand.
After another silent conversation, Jessica nodded and closed her
eyes.
    “I’m not a monster,” he whispered to himself.
But he didn’t believe it. He was a murderer. The first time was two
years ago, an accident like a gun going off when you least expect
it. Still, he knew there was a gun, knew it was loaded with no
safety. He was just as responsible as if he had willfully pulled
the trigger.
    ***
    Prom. He stood by the punch bowl,
uncomfortable in his tux. Around him, classmates danced, making
fools out of themselves even though most were completely sober. His
date, Ramona Straub, was a cheerleader with large lips, a small
waist and long brown hair. He hadn’t