The Future World President's First True Love by James Alexander - HTML preview

words.’

‘Oh, poor you. You wanted an adventure. You were fair game. Don’t come crying

now.’

‘I’m not.’ He noticed that the pencil-torch still dangled from his moist fingers in front

of his crotch – her eyes glanced twice, amused – and he slammed it onto the table. A

tinkle of the bulb breaking.

‘If you want me,’ she said. ‘I’ll go with you. I promise I won’t stab you in the back. I’ll

stay for three days. After that, no promises.’

‘But if I have your cat, you might stay with me forever.’

She dropped her head sadly, straining against the chair, and sighed: ‘How can you

have her, Skeet? She’s half wild. And if you kill her tonight, or anyone else, then kill me

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too, because I’ll spend the rest of my life hunting you down. What do you mean, have

her? What do you want?’

‘To give you a choice.’

‘What choice?’

‘One. Y ou go out and fetch the leopard. I dart it and put it in my truck. Then I go, and

everyone wakes up, including you. No harm done. And you come to us, of your own

free will, to America. I’ll give you a million dollars, ten grand in cash right now. Come

look after her at my place.’

‘She’ll be in a cage?’

‘Yeah, well. I have a ranch. We can build an enclosure, and import African deer-’

‘No thanks. What’s the other choice?’

‘I came here to hunt and kill. I’m going home with a trophy.’

‘Fuck you.’

Only Ariel heard the gate to the leopard run creak open, and she mouthed the

expletive slowly enough to mask the sound. She closed her eyes and saw faintly

through Ingwe’s: the old man, with a silenced handgun and night-vision goggles

strapped to his face, crouching on tip-toe across to Sindisi’s den. The creature and its

boy stalked silently up behind him on the other side of the fence, towards the open gate.

She saw herself, through the kitchen window, strapped to the chair, Skeet leaning over,

and opened her eyes.

‘Ahah. Ah < beg yer pardon?’ He giggled.

‘What, you don’t understand, you fucking nimrod? Fuck you fuck you. Lek mich am

arsch. Do your worst.’

‘Yeah? Well, maybe yer ass is all I’m innerested in, bitch. Fuck me? Fuck you! ’ And he

slapped her as hard as he could.

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A hawk moth swooped into the room from somewhere and flittered above his head.

He ignored it - just a moth and all - and drew back his arm for a second blow, his fist

clenched and his teeth twinkling.

The moth banked and flew straight into his eye.

‘OW! Fuck! Bitch stung me!’ He staggered back. ‘Damn! I can’t see! AAAH

S’BURNING’’ He staggered and lost his balance and fell, flailing an arm and clutching

his face. ‘Aaah damn. Ow. Ow. My eye.’

The moth fluttered down and slipped between the floorboards, just a glimpse of a

naughty grin on a tiny fairy face as it disappeared.

And then a faint golden glow alighting in the crack from below.

Stein was lost in the shine. Bathed in it, on his hands and knees, mouth agape, night

vision goggles discarded in the dust. Gold, gold, oh so much gold. And jewels, diamond ruby

sapphire. Treasure. At last, my treasure. The pile gleamed as if lit from within, the

heavenly glitter filling his mind. The noises from above seemed to come from some

other world, and gave no thought to why he could see so clearly in this dark place. His

mouth was dry, and he licked crusted spittle from his lips.

How much? How much? Half a ton at least. How many million? Oh my God. It’s so

beautiful.

Voices from above, clear and close, but he couldn’t make the sense of them. A shiver

up his spine.

It’s mine. Not sharing. I …

have to kill everyone.

I’ll need time, so much time …

His eyes watered and he blinked and rubbed his face, sitting up from his adoration.

His heart fluttered, a twinge of pain in the old left arm. The voices from above were

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distorted with some strange interference. Then the whisper of a foot through grass

behind him.

Ingwe watched as the little spirit of the air lit up the cave and the tokoloshe rode its

slave across the grass below. She stood and snarled, and began a slow flow down the

cliff. Sindisi followed, leaping with agile power from rock to rock, her muscles

burnished by the moon.

Oh my kitten. Look at you now. So strong, so perfect. Let’s fly at them!

No wait, mama. Firesticks. I am still alive. Not yet. Be patient. Wait for the moment. They

crawled through a bush-tunnel between the rocks, closer. The gate was open.

‘Man,’ Skeet splashed water on his face. ‘That hurt. Thought I was blind for a while

there.’ He squinted and winked at the wall, his forehead stretched tight. ‘Weird after-

image. Like lookin’ at the sun. What the hell was that? A wasp?’

‘A moth.’

‘Moth’s can’t sting. Dumb broad. Now, then. Where were we? Oh yeah. You gettin’

the beatin’ ya deserve.’

‘I’ll make another deal, Skeet. I’ll let you fuck me. Right here, right now. Then leave

us alone.’

‘Yeah? That what you are? A whore just like all the others?’

‘They’re right, evil is banal. Just another boring misogynist with mental constructs of

domination. Too scared to just fuck and go.’

‘Uh? Shut up. If I wanna fuck you, when I wanna fuck you, I’ll do it. I don’t need ya

invitation. But right here, right now, I want the leopard. Not so damn sure about you no

more, slut.’

‘She’s gone. I told you.’

‘So then I’ll kill you. Why not? And everyone in this house. I’ll burn y’all alive.’

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A pause then. Ariel licked her lips, eyes clear and impassive as a cat.

Withered old hands shook as they reached out to touch the gold. His fingertips

trembled as they

passed right into it?

And then sudden darkness. He stifled a scream NO, clawing one hand to his mouth,

the other at empty air. And in that moment of pure, dark fright he reached the highest

level of his spiritual awareness, and heard, for just a moment, the voice of the tokoloshe

behind him, a low inhuman gurgle, a promise of hell. He twisted back, banging his

head on the floorboards. The pain in his arm burned brighter. He saw – Just the boy. Oh

my God. What made that noise? The boy-

A blur, quicker than he could react, up behind him. The pistol slipped from his

holster.

‘No! It’s mine!’ Stein turned and reached back. Too slow, oh he’s so quick – wha-? A

firefly swept past his ear and then broke apart, sparkling into a firework-lattice above

the boy – a head? What is that? Oh God … then the boy was screaming and falling, talon

hands ripping at the air, his eyes pools of horror in the faint light.

The light-shape twisted away and out into the night.

The light-bird! The little human. It fights! Now! Now! Ingwe leapt forward, streaming

through the wire fence, The tokoloshe, clawing at the fairy jinking and sparkling before

it, heard the howl of her attack like wind through the air, and turned a snarling face.

Ingwe condensed into perfect leopard, and tore into its belly.

Young Abraham awoke from five years ago. Only eight, exploring the bushy gulfs of

the forbidden stone koppie above his house. He awoke in another cave, in a thirteen

year-old body. An old man (tokoloshe) leaning over him, fingers slipping around his

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neck (to enslave me) and he writhed and screamed. His instinct was infused with the

skills learned in slavery and he kicked and struck a fist, then convulsed forward for the

head-butt.

‘HEY, HEY Y’ALL. What the hell’s going on down there?’ Skeet peered through the

window and nibbled a fingernail. Nothing, just a moth, flickering above the ground.

The sounds of intense struggle continued from below, grunts, thuds, a wheezing

scream. He picked up the pencil torch and crossed to the gap in the floor. ‘Damn,’ he

muttered. ‘Busted. Better go see.’ He crossed to the door, and then flapped back to the

table for his gun.

As the blow broke his jaw, Stein knew that this was his life, this was the moment that

mattered, and if he won now then < he won. Gold. Real real real. Only a boy. My gold. He

lurched forward and caught a narrow, wiry waist, and with everything left in his heart

began to squeeze.

The plastic man opened the kitchen door and stepped out. Sindisi crept closer

through the darkness, tail held low.

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5

The road spun beneath them, eating up the miles from the farm, but Churchill didn’t

care. He was faint with the memory of the image in the video camera. It was her. I’m sure

of it. Oh my wife, my beautiful wife. No more small talk with this strange version of Cliff

Darcy. A huge, low moon. A red moon. He reached out and turned down the music.

Passion, despair, lust < young man’s music. Cliff grunted but said nothing.

A road sign passed. Limpopo.

‘WOAH!’ Cliff suddenly rammed on the brakes, and the van screeched to a halt on

the verge.

‘What? What is it?’ Churchill squinted through the insect-splattered windscreen.

‘Bit of trouble back at the farm. The fun and games have started. More of a jol than

sitting here with you, Church ol’ boy, I’m afraid. You’re bo ring. I’m going to check it

out.’

‘Farm? What farm? My farm?’

‘Cliff, this is Churchill. Remember him? Church, you know Cliff. I’m sure you two’ll

have a lot to talk about. Have to wake him up, Church.’ He winked. ‘Must dash, I’m

afraid. Later.’ The subtle sneer slipped from his face, and the sparkle faded from his

eyes. He slumped back in his seat, chin dropping.

‘Cliff?’

Nothing. Then a faint snore.

‘Cliff? Hey, buddy. Are you there?’ Churchill poked him. He burped and rolled his

head away. ‘Wake up. Hey. Wake up now.’ A tap to the leg.

‘Uh? Whassis?’ His eyes creaked open, clouded with confusion. ‘Aaaaaow. My head.

God, ow. Where < Church? Churchill? Wha’the hell y’doing here?’

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Churchill gave a curt nod, but was silent. Then he reached out and gave Cliff’s

shoulder a reassuring shake.

‘Where are we?’

‘Limpopo.’

‘uuh < why?’

‘You don’t know?’

Cliff shook his head, his eyes puffy and scared.

‘Hate to have to tell you this, Cliff, but um < I think you, you’ve been possessed. By

a demon.’

‘Yeah, brandy. A demon? Oh God, what did I do? It’s a complete blackout.’

‘You said some things.’

‘I did? To you?’ And Cliff was suddenly wary, stiffening in his seat, his eyes dark

with shadow.

‘Yes. Do you remember?’

‘No, Church. I don’t. Nothing. Just a bad dream.’

‘Do you have a video camera? Cliff? Answer the question. Do you?’

‘Huh? No, no < video camera.’

‘You took it from the back of the van. May I have a look?’

‘You holding a gun on me? Is that why we’re here?’

Churchill glanced up and studied Cliff’s eyes, and said softly ‘Why would you think

that? Hey, my old friend?’

‘What did I say to you?’

‘No video camera?’

‘No, I already said. No fucken video camera. I don’t care about all that shit. Can’t

afford it, anyway.’

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‘Okay, okay.’ Churchill raised empty hands. ‘And no gun. You’re my old friend,

trying to help me out with something. No gun. I promise. Okay? I need to look in the

back of your van.’ He snapped his fingers. ‘Keys.’

Cliff fumbled them over, and Churchill stepped out and opened the back.

‘Somewhere up here, on the right. Here. Got it.’ He got back into his seat and flipped

open the screen.

Blank.

‘How do you work this?’

‘I dunno.’

‘But it’s yours.’

‘I already told you–’

‘Okay, okay. Here, this button <’ the screen flickered to life. ‘And this to play.’

Churchill covered the screen with his hand and turned to Cliff. ‘Listen, when, when you

see this I want you to promise there’ll be no violence between us. I promise this too, I

swear to you. Okay?’

‘I dunno what’s going on, boet. I swear to God.’

‘I hope so, because a demon put this into your hands. But we’ll talk like civilized

men.’

‘Okay.’

He uncovered the screen.

‘Euugh, what is that?’ Cliff recoiled. ‘Is it like, flesh? Is an operation? Why–?’

‘Where’s rewind? Wait, I <’ The screen flickered down through its memory, the

gruesome coiling twisting faster. Fast forward. More of the same. Churchill focused his

eyes fiercely. Where are you? Nonhlanhla? A spasm in his gorge and he felt the vomit

rising < a kick, the door sprang open and he was sprawling out onto the dirt.

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‘Oh my wife, my wife my wife. You are gone, gone now.’ And he wept and spoke

her name, dissolving it in his tears. Then he wiped his eyes and the vomit from his

mouth, and sat up–

Tschid –tschick.

Cliff, balancing a gun in his hand.

No. Not Cliff. Look at how he stands. He’s back.

‘So now you know the lie, old Church, old buddyroo. Do you want to know the

truth? All you have to do is ask. I can tell you every tasty detail.’

‘Begone, you filth from hell. I’ll speak to Cliff.’

‘Here. You might need this.’ He flipped the gun over and thrust it into Churchill’s

hand, then took an uncertain step back and stared with shock at the gun he had just

given away.

‘Cliff?’ Churchill stood.

‘Woah woah. You said no gun. No gun. Come on, whatever I told you I was drunk,

buddy. It’s not true. Don’t shoot.’

‘Tell me now. Did you kill my wife?’

A moment’s silence, while Cliff chewed his lip, his moon-lit face bleak and open,

eyes wide. Then slowly, he nodded.

‘And did you rape her?’

‘Yes. Yes, I did. Shoot me, Churchill, what the fuck.’ He laughed. ‘Do it. I’m tired,

man. I’ve carried it around inside me my whole life. And I loved her, can you believe it,

my brother? I’m fucked now. I’m fucked. I’ll drink till I die so what the hell. Shoot me.’

As if his hand had a will of its own, the gun rose up and sighted between Cliff’s eyes.

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6

Ariel closed her eyes and tried to see outside. She could sense the leopard and the

creature as they fought above her, ripping through the air. She heard the roar of their

struggle, the shriek of energy against energy, the resonance through our world.

Then Sindisi touched her mind, and the night cleared. She saw a man–

Who is this, Ariel?

Lucifer. Sindy, be careful! He is dangerous.

But the young cat stood foursquare, her tongue lolling with arrogant disdain, her

deep night eyes unblinking on the shadows of his.

I am flesh, Ariel. I am powerful. Look! Ingwe destroys his creature. She shines! He can do

nothing to me.

And the Cliff-shape nodded, with a wry smile.

He can take your body–

Let him try! The plastic man comes. I must kill him.

Careful …

They watched as Skeet made his cautious way down the kitchen steps. The devil

stepped aside with an elegant ushering gesture through the gate.

‘Hey, what am I doing?’ Churchill lowered the gun. ‘I can’t shoot you! I mean, that’s

the whole point.’

‘You can’t? Even though you know–’

‘Cliff, we have to deal with all that later. I’ve got a funny feeling, man.’

‘Yeah?’

‘Something the demon said <’

‘What’s this demon shit you always on about?’

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‘I mean it literally. You were possessed. You brought me out here to tempt me to

vengeance. Take your soul, too.’

‘Ah, now listen–’

‘Shut up. This is a trick. I have to get back to the farm.’

Skeet was on his hands and knees, flabbergasted by what he saw in the cave. His

treadmill-rounded bum stuck up in the air.

Sindy, wait! Gun! Ariel shouted, but too late, for they were through the gate and in

one leap crunched fangs into a shiny buttock. Skeet screamed, thrashing backwards,

and Sindisi tore the grip from side to side. Blood filled her mouth and sprayed across

the wall, raining viscous ripples in the black amoeba seeping from the cave. His drawn-

out shriek ululated as he waggled around. She set her claws in the earth and tore free.

He screamed and screamed and fell and threw an arm back-

The gun, Sindy and the shot ripped a red line through Ariel’s mind, her eyes opening

with a gasp - this chair again, cable tie twisted deep into her bleeding wrists as the noise

punched through the kitchen. Then another shot from outside, then a third.

Then silence.

A whimper, and a long groan. A grass-whisper? Did I hear that? The stroke of the grass

along her golden pelt, alive real real real …

Or just hope in my ears?

A plaintive meeeow, close by.

‘Si-? Oh.’ Shoulder Thomas was huddled under the kitchen table, scrawny and

bristly, his eyes fierce. ‘K sss! Go away, kitty.’ But he crawled closer, back arched and tail

bottlebrushed, darting anxious glances at the door, then crouched down and chewed at

the cable tie around Ariel’s left ankle.

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She laughed and squeaked ‘ Ow! ’ her lip split. ‘Don’t be silly, kitty, G’way now.’ Then

a grunt from outside, the sound of a body dragging on dirt. Shoulder Thomas hissed

and scampered into the darkness of the cottage.

Tommy? Wake up Kay. Wake her up. Ariel opened her eyes. It was no good. He couldn’t

hear her. Just a cat.

Ingwe, where are you?

Nothing, but the brightness of the kitchen walls and the soft moan of the man

outside.

Lucifer decided to watch for a while, just for interest, although he would have to

intervene soon. It was a fight he’d seen before - the earth elemental, the guardian spirit,

who had chosen to stay to protect this nursery of souls, fighting one of his beasts - and

his side always lost. He would have to carry the tokoloshe back and heal it. It had done

excellent work in Africa, reaping an army of slaves for hell, since first passing through

the portal of a fire caught and cultivated by a man in a cave all those thousands of years

ago.

But let it take a beating. Suffer awhile longer. Learn some respect for the thorns in

our bountiful garden. He glanced around the bush for the fairy, but knew there was no

point. She had fled at his appearance, jinking at grass level down the hill, down to

watery crevices and mossy rocks where her light-trick camouflage could fool even him.

Pity. No time for a hunt right now. He liked to squeeze the light out of them, like

squeezing the life from a fish. He liked to watch the light-show, the desperate

manipulation of the air, the pretty sparks as they died.

Slippery little bastards. Almost extinct everywhere. A rare treat. But, as always, work to be

done. He sighed and rose up with a flap of black wings.

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‘Oh < mah < Gawd.’ A bloodied claw grasped at the door-jamb, and Skeet pulled

himself upright. The other hand clutched behind. ‘Took a piece. A piece. Outta my <’

And Ariel laughed, her head thrown back, her legs splayed wide.

‘Please. Aah < ‘m bleedin’ everywhere.’

‘So untie me. I’ll help you.’

‘Yeah?’ he whimpered. He tried to sit down, then shrieked and stood up, his hand

squeezing gore. ‘Shit.’ He swayed, and dropped the pistol onto the table.

‘I mean it. All I want is peace. I’ll patch you up and you can go. Win-win. Untie me.’

‘Eh-heh I can’t trust yah. You’ll stab m’back.’

‘And this < is how you wanted a relationship? Look, you’re bleeding.’ She motioned

with her eyebrows at the floor, where a pool of red spread tendrils over the blue lino.

‘You’re losing blood fast.’

He dragged his leg over to the sink, took a dishcloth, and jammed it into the wound.

‘D’ya have a first aid kit? Mine’s in the truck.’

‘What happened to Sindisi?’

‘Who?’

‘The leopard, idiot. Did you shoot her?’

He considered the question, his face slack and wan. ‘No.’

‘But how can I trust you? And by the way, I used that cloth on the floor. We live

above a leopard den. So now you have a bad infection.’

He threw it away and clenched the wound again. ‘C’mon, please. First aid kit?’

‘Did you shoot her?’

‘No, I swear. The first shot was close, but she ran like hell.’

‘Okay. Middle cupboard. There’s whiskey in the top.’

He staggered over and let go of the wound. Blood spewed but no spurt. Not an artery.

Pity. She watched his hands shake as they struggled with the spin-top. He squeaked as

he splashed.

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‘You can’t heal yourself. We must boil cloth, clean it out properly. As soon as

possible.’

‘Aaaaah shuttup. I’m not lettin’ you free. To work on m’butt? No way.’

She sighed.

He took a tablecloth from the cupboard and pulled it between his legs, tying it tight

above his hip. Then he rummaged through his black satchel. A syringe.

‘What are you doing?’

‘Gonna wake the nigger up. Was gonna do it anyway.’

How tasty, this human flesh. She was astonished. Fruity monkey yum. Even the sick-

smelling one. She licked her lips and watched as her mother tumbled from the sky to the

earth beside her.