The Society of the Ethereal Medallion

Acquaintances

"How much longer?"

"Stop asking, Greene."

"I'm going to keep asking until we find servitude at a town or village." 

The heat was almost unbearable. My feet dragged lazily against the ground; I held my cloak over my head to protect against the heat. 

Poor Daisy was struggling to stay upright. 

"Some grand idea you had, Ares."

"I thought you were tough enough to hoove it out to the town. You can knock out a grown man, but you're telling me you can't walk a few measly miles to Ceuta?"

"Not in the blistering heat of the day. We're almost out of the water, and it's taking every bit of my soul not to drink it all and kill one of you two for food."

We had been traveling for three days. We walked from Cairo to Libya; we then took a ratty plane as far as Tétouan, Morroco. We're now, as Ares put it, "hoofing" it out to Ceuta. Our band of hosts left for Italy in honor of their tour. 

I'm rather glad. I was sick of wearing that skirt and bra. I haven't heard the end of it from Ares. I would prefer not to talk about the interaction we had not too long ago.

We never did finish that conversation. Not that I was looking forward to it or anything. I swear men were the most confusing species in the history of humankind. He would flirt with me one moment, and the next, he was cold.

"Finally," I sighed as we came upon Ceuta. 

Red, beige and blue homes stood lined together. Cars streamed back and forth on the road. 

"So the Pillars of Hercules."

"Just a second, Greene. I say we take a break."

"We need to hurry. We have no time for breaks."

"Rosie, if I go anymore, you're gonna need to carry me."

It wasn't safe to be in one place for too long a time. We haven't had any encounters with the Brotherhood. They're not going to stop.

"It's not-"

"Safe, yes we know. Suppose the Brotherhood wanted to do something they would have. We're not being followed. We're wonderful."

"I have a bad feeling about this."

"You have a bad feeling about everything."

"I'm always right about the feelings."

"For once, Greene, just think with your stomach, not your head. You're stomach's been singing since this morning, and so has mine. I'm getting something to eat."

"Come on, Rosie. Live on the wild side for once." 

Why was he so convincing?

"Fine," I replied reluctantly. "We grab something to eat and get a move on. There are too many people, and we need to keep moving."

"You sound like my mom."

"You're attracted to your mother?" I retorted snarkily.

Ares glanced at me and smirked, "Was that a joke, Rosie? I didn't know you could make one."

"There's more where that came from."

"Well, I'd sure love to see it sometime."

"Are you two done? I don't want to throw up what little food I have in my stomach," William interrupted, further killing the tension between Ares and me.