Chapter 33: Nena

A thoughtful Tom headed home.

Since he had to pass where the bus was parked on his way home, Tom ducked across the street at the carpark complex. He let out his senses but couldn’t detect anyone in the immediate vicinity, so he stepped aboard the bus.

If anyone had been watching him, Tom would have appeared to have simply vanished into the night after a quick flash of light. Tom, however, could see through his own glamour, like most magical people are able too.

“Hi, Bus, has anyone bothered you yet?” Tom asked the air, even though he automatically looked at the empty driver’s seat.

“No, Tom, it has been a relatively, quiet and peaceful evening. You don’t need to check on me. I have been having a lot of fun just observing the people in your world. I have also discovered this thing called the internet. Fascinating, just fascinating.”

Tom chuckled, “Just be careful what topics you search as you may learn some of the people on my world have some rather interesting or should I say, disturbing habits and hobbies, depending on what you like. They can also do and say some amazingly stupid things, and some do some amazingly heroic things.”

“Yes, I have noticed that the medium gives your people free rein to allow them to express themselves. The people of this world seem far more vibrant than those I knew on my home planet in the Keltrian Star System.”

“The people I have served in the past were much more, well, staid or even boring, I think you would say. Even the mage on Dara that found me had little imagination. He was just after wealth and power.”

“I guess working for Monte and me has livened things up for you,” Tom chuckled.

“Indeed, indeed. I was sad that Prince Monte wished his freedom, but I believe he has fulfilled his part in your destiny for now. Plus, it was your wish to release him. You are my Master, and I must obey.”

“Well, Monte has his own destiny to follow, Bus. Humans, no matter what race or planet they come from, do not thrive if they don’t have free will. While some will tolerate some form of slavery or even imprisonment, they have to believe they still have some choices in life and even the possibility of gaining their freedom again.”

“But Monte wasn’t a slave, he was a servant,” Bus replied indignantly.

“Was he, Bus? Did he know that by accepting the disc that he was to become a servant, or did he instead find that he was a slave and bonded to serve? Did he get the chance to choose, or was it forced upon him?”

“Ah, I see,” Bus said quietly.

“The same goes for you, Bus. Are you a servant by choice, or were you forced to serve? Do you want your freedom?”

The bus didn’t answer for some time. “Master Tom, I was given a choice. While my service has not been all fun and games, I have been privileged to serve some good masters.”

“Although you have been the most fun and the first to ask me what I wanted. If it pleases you, I wish to stay in your service as long as you wish to have me serve you.”

“I have determined that your race can easily live a hundred years. As a high Paladin and you being so young, you could potentially live a thousand years or more. I have a feeling we will have a lot of good times between now and then.”

Tom gave a self-deprecating chuckled. “Bus, I can’t even contemplate living a hundred years. As long as you are happy to keep helping me out, I’m happy to keep you around. However, there will be times when I’m very busy and won’t pay you a lot of attention.”

“That’s all right, Master Tom, I’m very good at keeping myself amused, and I do have the internet while we are on this planet.”

“Okay, Bus, I need to go get some shuteye. I need to go a few places later today,” Tom replied.

“Certainly, Tom. Just wave the Go-Card, and I’ll turn up,” replied Bus happily.

Tom frowned, “Buggar, you will need a driver if I do that, or it would look very odd. Magic isn’t commonplace here, and we don’t have automated buses.”

A loud thump against the side of the bus startled Tom.

“Oh, fuck! Shit, ow, that hurt,” a muffled, slurred and angry voice was heard through the door. “Who the fuck, parked a fucking city bus here?”

“Hum, that is interesting, Tom. Whoever it is can see through the glamour.”

“I’m guessing that is not a good thing, is it?” Tom replied snidely. He hadn’t even been home one day, and he was in trouble.

“Well, you did wish for a driver,” Bus replied reasonably.

Tom frowned, “Did you entice that person here?”

“No. But I have a feeling you did,” Bus replied, but he didn’t qualify his statement.

Tom wiped his hand down and then up his face, and then back through his hair, “Open the door, Bus.”

The door opened, and Tom stepped out of the bus.

Some people are not dealt a good hand in life.

Nena Heydrich had certainly been dealt some serious blows in hers. The latest just being in a long line of woe. The last place she expected to find herself at twenty-three years of age was homeless, unemployed, and sleeping in a park behind a car parking structure. At least she had a nice view of the Brisbane River.

She could only berate herself for her stupidity. The prick who was now her ex-boyfriend had not only emptied and then closed their joint bank account, but he had also cancelled her credit card and changed the locks on the apartment.

Nena had been down with a nasty summer flu for a week when Neil told her that morning that he was now sick, so he couldn’t go to work. Worried by his lack of information about the proposal she had given him to deliver on Monday, Nena had dragged herself to work.

She got to the office to find the sky had fallen and her workmates were running around like chooks with their heads cut off. After a quick chat with Sarah, her admin-aide, Nena was ordered into the Boss’s office. Here she was hauled over the coals.

She learned that her very important client had cancelled the contract. The client had cited that the proposal, which Nena had been helping to design, was so full of holes they could drive a haul truck through it. Nena had no idea what had gone wrong or why her boyfriend had lied to her.

Neil was supposed to review the proposal for minor spelling or grammatical errors on Monday, then give it to Sarah to send it to the clients on Tuesday. Nena had spent the previous four months doing obscene hours to complete the proposal with little help from Neil.

She had not been happy with his lack-lustre effort or his professionalism. Nena was very serious about her job. This was the first time that the couple had worked on a project together as part of a small team. Neil’s animosity towards Nena’s singlemindedness about the project had strained their relationship.

Nena might be meek and submissive at home, but not so much at work. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d had sex with Neil, not that she missed it. Then the previous weekend she had gotten sick.

She had been so ill that she could barely get out of bed until the day before, and she still wasn’t fully recovered. The stress and shock of all her hard work going up in flames weren’t helping her get better.