Whispers

Gathering

An alabaster chandelier gleamed over the longest marble table inexistence. It sat twenty-six whisperers on each side, arranged according to theirpresent rank in the organization. Lucius sat to the right of their boss who satat the head with the cowl of his robes obscuring his features. If Dee had shownhis face, nothing would get done. The lesser whisperers—the ones rankedtwentieth and up—would end up staring at him the entire time.

Desmond sat a few seats down from Lucius; not far enoughto indicate he was slacking off, but not close enough to be considered good athis job. To Lucius’s knowledge, Desmond preferred it that way. His friendcoasted at best.

Lucius scanned every punctual, pokerfaced whisperer present.He knew each one of the individual lines on the pad of his thumb. He calledthem brothers and sisters. He’d climbed up their ranks and gained theirrespect. Many of them were centuries older than he was.

The Brotherhood of Suicide Whisperers included a cross-sectionof children ranging from ages seven to ten, teens, twenty-somethings, severalin their thirties, one in her forties, and the oldest was in his sixties. Atleast, that was how they wanted to portray themselves. Age meant nothing but ablink of an eye to them. Some wanted to appear aged while others held on to amask of youth like Lucius. The children older than he was disturbed him out themost. Why they wanted to appear juvenile was beyond him.

The men sat straight-backed in black suits with crispshirts and tight ties. The women posed in resplendent dresses in variousdesigns indicative of their personal taste—lots of lace, taffeta, and silk in awide black spectrum that could create its own rainbow. Not many knew of thedifferent shades of black: onyx, ebony, coal. The list went on and on. Awhisperer learned to be creative with the use of this particular hue. Deewouldn’t have it any other way. He thought of it as a challenge for hisemployees.

The assemblage waited for Janika.

Lucius heaved a muted breath. One like her joined thebunch every generation. What Dee would give for all of them to be mindlessautomatons, Lucius thought. Being the favorite as Desmond would put it gaveLucius the ear of their boss.

During rare moments of annoyance, Dee would bemoan theactions of some of his whisperers, lately Janika’s. She, of them all, managedto annoy Dee the most. Like a willful daughter willing to do anything to standout in a bid for the attention of her father, Janika remained stubborn anddefiant. If the whisperers decided one way on a certain issue, she would decidethe other just to be contrary. He recalled the great debacle of the recenteconomic recession. Many souls gathered during those years. Janika insistedmore housewives should pay the price just because she didn’t like them when themeeting’s real topic had been corporate suicides.

Lucius stared at the double doors made of the darkestoak, tapping his fingers on the armrest of his chair. He was too tired to wastetime waiting for a whisperer who had no regard for punctuality. Although hereminded himself, he couldn’t act all high and mighty. If Shamus hadn’treminded him of the gathering, he would have completely forgotten to attend.

As soon as it seemed like the room had reached itspatience limit, an invisible force slammed the doors open. In unison, the groupturned their heads to watch a lanky sixteen-year-old girl stomp in, the clickof her stiletto heels a prickly tap, tap, tapon the parquet floor. Her once obsidian locks bleached a peroxide blonde,bounced in large curls. Lace fingerless gloves, a black and white polka-dot—silkover tulle—balloon skirt, striped leggings, and a man’s dress shirt opened downthe front was her current outfit choice. The contours of her breasts, coveredby a satin push-up bra, peeked out. A scythe pendant dangled from a silverchain at the valley made by her ample bosom. Black nails, kohl eyeliner, andblood-red lipstick completed the ensemble.

She stretched her arms up as if after a dismount andsaid, “Ladies and Gentlemen, the party has arrived.”

“Sit down, Janika,” Dee said.

Janika clucked her tongue but didn’t defy the command.She disappeared and reappeared on the third chair to Lucius’ right. She proppedboney elbows on the table and rested her sharp chin on steepled fingers.

“I missed you, boss.” She winked and blew him a kiss.

Dee cleared his throat and glanced at the whisperer withsalt and pepper layered locks. “Now that we are all present, let us begin.Tomas, please proceed.”

The moderator made a fist with his right hand and fromit grew a scythe with a massive blade. Its face had a series of interlockingcircular symbols. Three interwoven gnarled ash branches formed its shaft. Heraised the staff and tapped the silver stud at the end on the floor. The deathknell rang out, echoing outward before leaving the room via the open doors.

Then he said in a crystal clear alto, “I hereby callthis meeting of the Brotherhood of Suicide Whisperers to order.”

Taking his cue, Dee said, “I would like to begin thismeeting by commending Lucius.” He rested a long-fingered hand on Lucius’shoulder and gave it a quick squeeze. “This morning he went above and beyondthe call of duty. Through his superb whispering skills, he brought to us notone but nine souls. Many of you should take the opportunity to learn from hisexample. We provide a service to those who no longer believe they want tocontinue living. And Lucius is an exemplary example of the creativity I wishevery one of you possessed.”

Cordial applause followed the declaration. Somewhisperers inclined their head toward Lucius, acknowledging his achievement.Desmond leaned back into his seat and sighed, shaking his head. Janika lickedher lips before gracing him with a toothy smile. If she purred, he was glad hedidn’t sit close enough to her to hear it.

Lucius nodded once at those gathered. He never cared forwhat they thought of him. And he would rather slit his wrists than take creditfor what he’d done. At the moment, the most important thing on his mind was hisbattle to stay awake.

Lucius, Dee whispered in his consciousness.

He sat up, startled by the sudden intrusion. Dee rarelyused telepathy because of the ferocity of his presence. The whisperers couldtake it, but it still felt like sticking one’s ear beside a roaring jet engine.

Yes, Lucius answered, blinking repeatedly.

Once this meetingis adjourned, come and see me.

Lucius dipped his head to indicate his acquiescence tothe request.

“I don’t understand why you don’t have anything toreport, Travis,” Janika said.

The whisperer mentioned shrugged—all coiled muscle inthe movement of his broad shoulders. “That’s just it, darlin’. I getassignments, I whisper, I make reports. What more is there?”

“Well, I have something.” Janika’s lips resembled aVenus flytrap when she smiled. “High profile. A Senator just killed himselfafter it was discovered he was having an affair with his secretary.”

“What’s so important about that particular death,Janika?” Tomas asked. “Sounds like a routine whispering to me.”

Several other whisperers down the table bobbed inagreement, deferring to the oldest and most powerful of them. Lucius may be thebest, but Tomas had been around longer than any of them other than their boss.He suspected Tomas was actually the first whisperer in existence. The moldevery one of them fell out of. Of course, Lucius had no evidence, and he neverhad the nerve to ask Tomas outright. He may be Lucius’ mentor and the closestLucius had to a father figure, but it didn’t mean they were close enough forLucius to disrespect him by asking something so personal.

“Not if the secretary in question used to be a man.”Janika’s smile could freeze water.

Tomas shook his head in dismay.

Lucius had been a whisperer for a handful of centuries,and yet, he still hadn’t discovered his full potential. His fatigue stemmedfrom having starved himself of residual energy. When a whisperer was created,Dee granted him the ability to take energy from souls. This way their boss didn’thave to feed them. The system could take its toll on a whisperer. If one ofthem didn’t use the residual energy accumulated, an overload could occur.Forgetting to take in energy activated the Fade. It was Dee’s fail safe. Itprevented whisperers from gaining enough power to challenge his authority.

“You like nothing but attention, don’t you, Janika?”Lucius challenged without thinking. He had no beef with her, but the wordsleaped out of his mouth before he could censor his thoughts. His need for sleephad made him irritable.

Janika relocated her jaw from having fallen in surpriseand said, “Well, the serious one finally speaks up. You look terrible, by theway.”

“Not as horrible as that outfit you call appropriate forthis meeting. What are you? An eighties pop star?”

“Uh!” Janika’s long-nailed fingers crumpled into a fist.

An abyss consumed her eyes, a yellow slit opening at thecenter. Her blond curls trembled. A deadly grimace formed on her youthfulvisage, betraying her true age. A sudden gust had the women shrieking theirdispleasure at having their hairdos ruined. Energy crackled, charging the airin the room with static.

“When did you become so chatty, Lucius?”

“Things change, Janika.”Lucius leaned forward and faced her. An insolent grin was his answer to hershow of power.

Desmond also leaned forward and waved his hand in acutting motion across his neck, begging Lucius with his eyes to stop hismomentary lapse into insanity. Lucius frowned at his friend. Too late tosalvage the situation now. He was too hungry and too cranky to even try.

“Let it go, Janika,” Dee interjected. His lifted hishand covered by the voluminous bell sleeve of his robes.

“He insulted me!” Janika pouted, righteous indignationin her voice. “That cannot go unpunished. I demand satisfaction for my woundedpride!”

“Wounded pride or not, your behavior is insulting tothis gathering,” Tomas chided--the chill of a grave in his tone. “It is becauseyou are ranked third that you must set an example for the others. Letting Luciusbait you is so unbecoming. As a lady, and as a whisperer of your status, gatheryour composure and bear with dignity what is dealt you.” He looked away fromthe cowed youngster and addressed the head of the table. “Boss, shall weproceed with this meeting?”

Dee tilted his head in assent. “I will see you later,Janika.”

“Yes, sir,” she whispered, her eyes returning to normal.

***

Lucius followed a whisp—the soul of an unborn child—into Dee’soffice. He kept his gaze on the ground as a sign of respect and executed apracticed bow before looking up. His vision doubled for a moment. If he thoughthis fatigue couldn't get any worse, vertigo ravaging his internal equilibriumwas a killer. He had to breathe deeply and siphon his energy reserves so hewouldn’t collapse into a heap in front of his boss.

Seated behind his lava stone desk, Dee dipped the tip ofa feather into a pot of ink, tapped the nib against the side, and signed thetopmost paper on the stack before him. His midnight robes spread out aroundhim, swirling as if alive. The sheet lifted from the table and disappeared,most likely going to the whisperer it was meant for. Another assignment.

The baubles scattered over Dee’s desk and arranged onshelves along the walls never failed to amaze Lucius. An angel’s tear. The hoofof a unicorn. The skull of Genghis Khan, which he used as a paperweight. Theindex finger of Confucius. The tip of a dragon’s tail. Things that tickledDee’s fancy. Even his albino crow was taken from Noah himself.

Lucius held in the pained sigh that threatened to leavehis lungs. He needed a vacation, he knew that much. The voices agreed. Themeeting had run a marathon. Fifty-two whisperers felt like a million. Eternitygave itself a new meaning, and all because Janika wouldn’t shut up, salivatingfor another confrontation. Even the saintly Tomas snapped at her several timesduring the course of the gathering, which only resulted in encouraging the girlinto mulishness.

The whisp that escorted him into the office floated towardthe desk. “Master,” it squeaked. “I have brought Lucius, and Janika is awaitingyour indulgence outside.”

Dee returned the feather on its stand and dropped hiscowl. Not many lived longenough to see his true face. One surrounded by golden locks that curled to hischin. And his eyes had no real color but were more like a crystal thatrefracted into a rainbow when hit by light.

“Thank you, Nim,” he said.

The whisp froze, mesmerized by his beauty. Lucius had tolook at a point beyond Dee’s shoulder to keep from staring. With his powerlevels so low, Lucius didn’t think he could withstand its allure.

“You may leave now, Nim.”

The whisp didn’t move.

“Nim!”

It hopped then trembled. “Yes, Master.”

The frightened thing bobbed to the door as fast as itcould.

A breath later, Lucius said, “You wished to see me?”

“Would you care to take a seat, Lucius?”

A chair made of bones materialized in a puff of smokebetween Lucius and the desk.

“Have I displeased you in some way?” he asked.

“Please, my dear boy, sit down.”

“Dee, I don’t—”

“Sit down!” Dee’s voice boomed like Jupiter’sthunderstorms.

Lucius fell into the chair; his head hung limp, readyfor the noose to strangle him and end this day and all the days afterward. Heinhaled sharply and exhaled slowly. Then he lifted his head and waited. Thevoices hushed like they waited for what would happen next. It was a reprieveLucius didn’t like. It was too foreboding to be pleasant.

“How are your duties?” Dee finally asked, ending thestrangled silence.

Lucius’ brow puckered. “The shooting at—”

Dee forestalled his explanation with a raised hand. “Ididn’t mean for you to repeat the meeting earlier. I already know of that.”

“I fail to understand—”

“What I don’t understand, Lucius, is your utter disregard for your work,” he cut in.

“I have never been remiss in my duties. I followprotocol, do I not?”

“Yes.”

“And I accomplished the assignments in a timely manner?”

“Certainly.”

“And don’t I write the reports . . .” Lucius couldn’tstop the yawn that came out of his mouth even if he’d wanted to. He covered itand repeated what he wanted to say. “I write and send the reports afterward.”

Dee nodded once.

“Then pardon me for being confused as to why I amsitting here with you when I would be best suited returning to my duties.”

“Then explain to me why you haven’t replenished yourselfwith residual energy?” Dee tented his fingers. “Do you have a death wish?”

Lucius leaned forward until his elbows touched his kneesand covered his face with his hands. He said nothing for the longest second inrecorded history. When he sat up, his features showed only a fraction of theexhaustion he’d brought with him. Only his willpower allowed him to maintainthis mask of control. If he wasn’t careful, the plaster would crack and showthe rot inside.

“I must admit to being remiss,” he said in even tones. “I’vehad a lot on my mind of late.”

“What keeps you up at night?” Dee pressed.

“Perhaps . . .” Lucius paused. Could he really go there?Could he really confess what had been bothering him for some time? Would Deeunderstand? He decided to risk it. “I have lived a long time. I have seencountless sunsets.” His gaze moved further away from the point beyond Dee’sshoulder. “I question my purpose, Master.”

“Your purpose?”

“Forgive me. It is not my intention to confuse. Even Ifind it difficult to understand what I am going through. A crossway, if youwill. But I believe I can find my truth again.”

“Tomas went through your predicament some centuriesback. Do you remember?”

Dismay made friends with Lucius’s weariness. “He was apain to live with then.”

“Yes, and look at him now. Moderator of our meetings andone of the most respected whisperers in the field, aside from yourself, ofcourse.” Dee stroked his chin. “Would you want to speak with him about hisexperience to gain some clarity?”

“That is gracious of you. But I must decline.”

“Ah, my dear Lucius, always so independent.”

“If it so pleases you,”—he stood—“I must take my leave.”

“Be well, Lucius.” Dee gestured to the door. “Now, ifyou will please send in Janika. We have matters to discuss regarding herconduct.”

Lucius smirked. “With pleasure.”

***

Lucius shut the door to Dee’s office and shook away the aftereffectsof being in his presence. Sitting alone with Dee felt like basking in the noondaysun. Not only did it burn, it blinded. Normally, being ranked first gave him acertain amount of immunity, but with his power supply dwindling, Lucius had towhite-knuckle through the whole experience.

He refused to rub his eyelids despite his ever blurringvision, knowing Janika watched him like a predator from her seat on the couchupholstered in polar bear fur. One was bad enough. At the moment, he saw two ofher when she spoke.

“Let me say this again, you look horrible,” she said,crossing her legs and spreading her arms wide over the top of the couch.

“As if you can match me in looks on my worst day,”Lucius retorted. He tried on a smirk, but his lips trembled. Only the force ofhis will kept him standing. Barely.

“Oh,” she made an O with her lips, “why must youcontinue to antagonize me so? At least make it a fair fight, Lucius. Even ifyou’re the favorite, if I decided to crush you now, I’d only get a slap on thewrist compared to what I have planned for you. But it wouldn’t be a challengedat all in your state. And I don’t want to insult my skills by kicking you whenyou’re so clearly down.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

“Despite being as weak as a whisp, you still challengeme?”

With preternatural speed, she had him pinned against thewall, her long-nailed fingers digging into his neck. She licked his face fromjaw to temple.

“Ilike this suicidal side of you,” she purred into his ear. “Very sexy. Make onemistake, just one, and I promise I will be the first to volunteer to make yousuffer. I want that number one spot you’ve been holding on to, no matterwhat the others say. They might not have the guts to challenge you, but I’vebeen waiting for you to slip up, and today, you did just that. I think you’regetting too cocky for your own good, Lucius.”

He dug the fingernail of his thumb into his palm,focusing on the pain it caused instead of the roiling rage inviting him to snap.He’d be no match for the alligator that had him in its maw.

“Janika!” The avalanche of Dee’s voice rumbled throughthe door.

She winced and released Lucius.

“Remember to come to my party, okay?” she said sweetlybefore she disappeared.

Lucius tugged his suit jacket back into place with shakingfingers. If he were a car, the light beside his gas gage would be blinking. Heclosed his eyes and concentrated. When he opened them, he still found himself outsideDee’s office. With a huff, he rolled his shoulders, stretched his neck untilvertebrae popped, and tried again.