Matthias scanned the entrance of the alley as Mordecai wheezed heavily next to him. As Mordecai coughed weakly the fetid air of the alley, ripe with the smells of rotting food and human extrement, swelled in the hot August night. Outside the alley, the screams and howls of the riot ripped through the air of the once peaceful night.
Matthias muttered softly in agitation, as he scavenged through the alley way for some kind of weapon.
“Take a little jaunt to the 1900’s you said… See New York City at the turn of the century you said… travel the timeline you said… it’ll be an adventure.”
Mordecai draw himself up slowly, barely stifling the urge to roll his eyes at the younger man’s complaints. The only thing prohibiting from the indulgence was the straight fact that gentlemen do not roll their eyes. Instead they snip sarcastically. An act which he proceeded to do with relish.
“Now Matthias… it sounds like you may not be enjoying yourself.”
“I am distinctly not, professor. “ Matthias snapped as he picked up yet another wooden crate, examined it for its potential as a weapon. Before discarding it with a curse.
“I believe what I sad was that it would be an experience you wouldn’t forget, and given your infantile mewling, that promise has been kept.”
“You got that right. I just assumed that I’d have the memory longer than 24 hours.”
Mordecai tugged his suit back into place and smoothed his hair as he made an effort to recover from the duo’s maiden flight which had ended with them taking temporary refuge in the alley.
“I admit that my calculations were slightly off—“
“—Slightly off? We’re in the middle of the Tenderloin race riot!”
“Yes well, that is because we landed ten days past my calculated arrival point. My dear boy, if you want certainty in your life then don’t traps through history!”
“Ah-ha!” Matthias crowed triumphantly, pulling out two broken bottles from the trash heap in the back corner of the alley. He shook the grime off one of the bottles before offering it to Mordecai, with a flourish. “There you go professor. One improvised weapon at your disposal.”
Mordecai recoiled from the bottle in disgust. For the love of god, why am I always saddled with the trainees. He thought to himself with disgust. He would have several sharply worded complaints for Isabella on his return. This was the last time that he would be on nanny duty.
“What do you expect me to do with that?” Mordecai said in disdain of Matthias’ offering.
With a drawn out sigh of impatience Matthias responded, “Put the jagged end in anyone who bothers us. I know its not optimal but it’s the best we’ve got right now. “
Mordecai peered suspiciously at the bottle in Matthias hand before gasping in outrage, “Good god, is that excrement on the bottle?” Mordecai recoiled even further away Matthias. “For all that is holy get rid of that thing!”
Growling in frustration, Matthias snapped back, “I don’t know what the hell it is but we don’t have the luxury of being picky right now. We’re unarmed and trapped in a race riot that’s going to last for days. So we can’t wait it out, we’re going to have to fight our way out. And we’re not going to survive the next five minutes, let alone the next four hours, unarmed.”
Mordecai gave a beleaguered sigh, as he gave a twist to the top of his cane and pulled a long thin rapier from the body of the cane. With a cool glance at Matthias, Mordecai casually remarked, “My dear boy, a gentleman is never unarmed.” Before tossing the cane sheath to Matthias who caught it in stunned surprise.
With a sly smile, Mordecai saluted Matthias before plunging into the heaving mass of bodies outside of the alley. With a curse Matthias tossed the filthy bottle aside, taking some small pleasure in the sound of shattering glass, before plunging into the crowd after Mordecai, the sword’s sheath clutched tightly in one hand.
©2020 by Leila Ghaznavi. All Rights reserved.