Master of Plagues, D. B. Reynolds [best books to read fiction .txt] 📗

Saraph hissed at Abdullah. “I promise you, Abdullah, you’ll apologize to my master.”
“Why won’t you tell me who your master is?”
“In due time, Abdullah, in due time.”
The King and the nest rose to the top of the laboratory ceiling. They disappeared into thin air. As for Abdullah, he had a lot of explaining to do to his colleagues and family.


CHAPTER—30

SHARING THE NIGHT TOGETHER

Love is where you find it. Love comes when you’re ready for it. Love is a many splendor thing. For Stuart Irwin Duffelmeyer, love blossomed at a rate he could’ve never imagined. Stuart decided to meet with the lovely Laura Rivenburg inside his penthouse suite at the Bellagio Hotel Casino back in Las Vegas. To flaunt some of the Duffelmeyer wealth, he purchased a hand-crafted silk suit from one of the finer men’s clothing stores.
A silk tie and perfect fitted shirt complimented the double-breasted suit. To prove he wasn’t stingy, Stuart took Laura to Nieman Marcus and gave her the liberty of picking out any dress and pair of shoes that she wanted. He learned early on life how anything good wasn’t cheap, and how anything cheap wasn’t good. You got what you paid for. Women were no different. Laura was a classy, cultured woman who required the finer things in life.
Far from being a materialistic, money-grubbing woman, she also appreciated the simple life which was ingrained in her Jewish cultural upbringing. Instead of eating out, the couple ordered entrée dishes from Picasso’s, one of the top restaurants from right there inside The Bellagio. Chef Juan Barcello did the honors of bringing their meals up to the penthouse suite. Stuart, being the generous soul he was, tipped Chef Barcello with a crispy one-hundred dollar bill. Chilled red Italian wine fresh from the vineyards of Italy was their perfect choice.
“Yes!” Stuart applauded, lifting the metal lid from off his meal. “This looks and smells absolutely delicious.”
His eyes watered as he looked down at the roasted lamb chops with zucchini farci seasoned with Bordelaise mustard sauce.
“Yes is right, Stuart!” Laura hailed, the aroma jetstreaming up her nostrils. “My tastebuds are hopping up and down on my tongue.”
Her mouth went into overdrive. She admired the sautéed steak of Foie Gras with rhubarb and roasted pistachio.
Romance and fine dining dominated the atmosphere. The panoramic view of the Las Vegas Strip from their huge picture windows was astonishing. Scented candles and potpourri fragrances gave the suite an alluring smell. Stuart wanted to make use of his suite’s amenities by turning on the sixty inch LCD flatscreen television with HDTV. The movie classic, “Jaws”, aired on one of the satellite stations.
“Another Spielberg classic,” Laura said, enjoying her succulent steak.
“I love Steven Spielberg,” Stuart said, taking a small bite of lamb chop.
“Wouldn’t be because he’s one of our Jewish brothers, would it?”
“No, no, the man is gifted way beyond his years. In my opinion, he’s one of the greatest directors to ever hit Hollywood.”
“I agree, Stuart. Unlike other Hollywood directors, his movies are talking about something very significant.”
“Mr. Spielberg’s movies do have something to say.”
“Schindler’s List is my favorite.”
“Mine’s is Raiders of the Lost Ark.”
“The Color Purple comes in at number two.”
“Steven is like my alter ego.”
The movie came to the scene where the shark attacked the woman swimming in the ocean.
Laura sipped down a mouthful of wine and popped her fingers. “Hey, Stuart, since we’re sitting here watching ‘Jaws’, it reminds me of a crazy story that I read about in Los Angeles.”
“Story, Laura? What story?”
“Oddly enough, some Baptist preacher from Knoxville, Tennessee claims that a buncha flying sharks attacked him, then bit him and some of his church members. And get this, Stuart, he claims that these sharks spoke English better than anyone he’s ever known.”
“Sounds like religion got the best of him.”
“An L.A. newspaper said that he was one of those homosexual-hating preachers who protested in front of some gay nightclub on Santa Monica Boulevard. He got all fired up about the overturning of Proposition Ten on same-sex marriages.”
“Yeah, I saw on the news where he and his church members tried to burn the nightclub down with lots of people inside.”
Wasn’t it amazing how news, whether good or bad, traveled pretty fast?
“Then, he went on to say that the big school of sharks put the fire out around the club by shooting out gallons and gallons of water. Tell me, Stuart, could you ever believe something like that?”
“Never in a million years.”
Oh yes, he could! Stuart was the sole beneficiary who stopped the gay patrons from being burned up inside Club Sidelines. Never in his lifetime would he confess to Laura that he possessed supernatural powers ordained by The Ruler of the Universe. Laura lifted the remote and changed the station. The movie “Anaconda” happened to be airing on the sci-fi channel. On the big screen, there was Jennifer Lopez and Ice Cube, trampling through the murky swamp waters.
“Haven’t seen this movie in awhile,” Laura mentioned, finishing up the last of her exquisite meal.
“Anacondas have been known to eat large animals,” Stuart said, taking the last swallow of wine.
“Which reminds me, Stuart. What do you know about rattlesnakes?”
“I know a little bit.”
“They’re not far away in the desert.”
“Somewhere in the Mohave Desert.”
Laura tapped the silvery fork on the side of her plate. “Did you hear about the group of perverts up in New York?”
“No, what perverts?”
“A group of six men tried to gang rape a ten year old Russian immigrant girl. These men said that a lot of man-sized rats burst their door down and beat the crap out of them.”
“Sure, whatever,” Stuart disregarded.
“They, too, said these rats spoke English and confronted them for what they were going to do.”
“If it’s true, then maybe they got what they deserved.”
“These twisted stories are making national headlines.”
“Bet they are.”
“Stuart, you haven’t heard the least of it,” Laura carried on, sort of a true lover of gossip and tabloid. “A buncha rednecks down in Dallas claim that a colony of human-sized fire ants attacked them inside an old airport hangar.”
“Let me guess, these ants beat the daylights out of them, and then they spoke better English than every English professor combined.”
“Correct.”
“Could that be the same story where these racist-rednecks were going to hang a black man inside that old airport hangar?”
“Correct, again.”
“They were nothing but a bunch of Jewish-hating, black-hating, and Gay-hating rednecks. They were the ones who chewed tobacco and guzzled down whiskey all day. They were nothing but a group of illiterate racists who perpetuated nothing but evil and self-hatred.”
“I see you’re passionate about that story,” Laura noticed.
“Sure I am,” Stuart asserted. “My Jewish people, your Jewish people, our Jewish people, they’ve suffered enough behind this Anti-Semitism hatred that’s perpetrated almost around the world. I’m sick of it and it has to stop.”
Both Laura and Stuart understood better than anyone.
“You’re absolutely, one-hundred percent correct, Stuart. Actually, my great-grandparents were Holocaust survivors.”
“So were my grandparents during World War Two. We truly are God’s chosen people.”
“And so it stands.”
“Those rednecks are going to be dealt with.”
Laura just delighted herself in the stories which hit major headlines around the country. “When I read about the gang members in Miami who claimed they were attacked by a hive of giant killer bees, it just tickled every funnybone in my body.”
Stuart thumped the side of his stoneware plate. “Don’t tell me, these huge bees attacked them and left them with sting wounds all over their bodies.”
“Right again,” Laura affirmed. “These stories have made national headlines. Sounds to me that these immoral people were plagued by creatures of this Earth.”
Stuart cut a grin and leaned back. “Plagues sent by those creature’s master.”
“What master?”
“Probably someone who’s dead tired of people violating and mistreating other people.”
“Whoever this master is, he’s to be commended for helping the poor downtrodden souls.”
“The plagues they’ve suffered, they’re the plagues they’ve deserved.”
Laura’s heartfelt statement tingled the emotional vibes inside Stuart. The flatscreen television suddenly went off. Soft music from the surround sound stereo system came on.
“Care to dance?” Stuart asked Laura, extending his hand out to her.
“Sure,” Laura accepted, gesturing at Stuart with feministic vibes.
The couple joined one another in a sensual dance. Stuart held Laura firmly in his embrace. He clapped his hands twice. The room converted to lower lights. The perfect mood was set.
“Did you know that that’s one of my favorite songs?” Laura recollected, the soothing tune taking her into loveland.
“You’re kidding,” Stuart said, his body language guiding him through the song. “My parents have ‘Sharing The Night Together’ by Dr. Hook in their vast music collection.”
“It’s one of those beautiful seventies songs, but it still sounds good to this day.”
Laura pulled Stuart within inches of her svelte body. Her toned curves pressed closer to his slim body.
“Laura, I have a confession,” Stuart grunted, his hormones racing like they’d prepared for the Indianapolis 500.
“What is it, Stuart?” she questioned, hoping it wasn’t some crazy bad news.
“Hope you’re ready for this.”
“My ears are all your’s.”
“I’m still-------.”
“Still what, Stuart?”