The Servants Of Darkness Go For Pizza

© Sean Monaghan

Jescritch flowed back to the living world with barely a sound. It was night. Countryside. Somewhere nearby a cow was lowing.

"That you Jes?" Dikon said. "I can't see a thing."

"It's me."

"I got one of the lousy robes again. It's chafing my armpits something awful."

"Cut it out," Aldein said. "This is finals week."

"Focus," Jescritch said.

"How can I focus in this blessed dark?"

Jescritch sighed. "Just one soul. A promised soul at that. Bring it back, then we're basically tenured."

"Plus," Aldein said. "It's not even that dark. I can see the town right over there."

Dikon turned, catching a fold of his robe in his sandal. He yanked it out. "Oh. Behind us."

Jescritch had a scrap of parchment with the name. "Lewis Kenton II."

"And he lives here?"

"Greensburg, Kentucky. His pact expires at midnight."

"Is this like the ass-end of anywhere?" Aldein said as they began traipsing across the field. "Shouldn't he be making it big in LA or New York? Playing the guitar in some huge band?"

"You would think, but this guy used his Year Of Power on college. Fast-tracked a fancy-ass degree."

"And now he's working in..." Aldein grabbed the parchment, "a pizza joint?"

"Hey," Jescritch snatched the note back.

"I love pizza," Dikon said.

"We're not here for pizza." Jescritch stepped onto the main road. There were a few Mom and Pop stores, all closed, a florist, a decorators. On the corner the pizza joint had a sandwich board and flashing bulbs along the awning. "Anyway, he's doing business experience for college credit. Running the place for his parents."

"Whatever," Dikon said. "It's not even eleven. Plenty of time to eat."

"He's right," Aldein said. "How long since you had a decent meal?"

"An eternity."

"Is that supposed to be even vaguely funny?" They crossed the road.

"Old jokes are best," Dikon said. "Anyway, ground beef, Jack cheese, anchovies, olives, bell peppers, Cajun seasoning, on a crispy base. Heaven."

"Oh man, you know nothing about pizza. Pepperoni, pineapple, mozzarella, capers and a stuffed-crust."

They came to the door. Jescritch took the handle and stood a moment.

"I know," Aldein sighed. "We just grab the soul and complete the test."

"Actually, I was thinking we could do a half and half." He pulled the door open and pointed up at the menu board. "Half and half pizzas, one dollar extra."

"Excellent," Dikon said, rubbing his hands.

They went in.

"What can I ..." the server hesitated, "... get you."

Jescritch started, "A large half and half with ..." then he saw the name tag.

"Hey," Aldein said. "That's him."

"It's only eleven oh five," Lewis said. "What the hell-"

"We're in training," Dikon said.

Lewis eyed them. "Is that supposed to reassure me?"

"Hey," someone called from the kitchen. "Everything okay out there boss?"

Jescritch smiled. "Half and half, Hawaiian and Italiano."

"Boss?"

"Yeah, Kel," Lewis said. "All under control." Lewis wrote the order and passed it through. "That'll be ten minutes."

"We'll take a seat then," Jescritch said.

Lewis nodded. "I'll be out back."

"Enjoy your last hour," Aldein said.

Dikon clipped him over the head. "Idiot."

"I was being menacing."

"You were being childish."

They sat and shortly Kel brought out the steaming pizza. The servants ate as if they were supping on ambrosia. "God this is good," Dikon said.

"You know," Aldein said, "that every time you do that you get white marks against your name."

"Do what?"

"Say 'God', or something like that. Blessed, heaven." Aldein swallowed the last bite of pizza.

"Whatever," Dikon said. "That was great pizza."

Jescritch looked at his watch again. 11.25.

Kel came out of the kitchen. "Ah, we're closing."

"Closing?" Jescritch looked into the kitchen. "Where's Lewis?"

"Ah, he said he had to go."

At that moment a car sped past the front of the shop, turning north.

"That's him," Kel said, pointing.

"Little shit," Jescritch said, bounding to his feet. The others followed him out to the sidewalk, watching the disappearing red taillights.

"This screws our test up majorly," Dikon said.

"Maybe not." Aldein pointed to a parked Trans Am. "Get in. I'll drive."

Aldein zapped the ignition while Kel screamed at them. Aldein floored the accelerator and they fishtailed around the corner.

"I think it was Kel's car," Dikon said.

"Yeah." They sped past the 61 North sign.

"We've only got a half an hour," Dikon said.

"I think he's driving a Camry," Aldein said as he ground the gears from second to third. "We'll have him in a couple of minutes. This is a coast to coast flyer."

They gained on the Camry slowly but steadily, passing through Allendale doing ninety, sometimes hitting a hundred on the straights. The road twisted and turned and the Camry struggled up the slopes, but kept blocking.

"We've nearly got him," Jescritch said as they came through Mt Sherman.

They pulled up alongside the Camry and Lewis slowed, then stopped.

"Ah," Jescritch said. "He knows the inevitable." He looked again at his watch. 11.50.

Aldein pulled on the handbrake and slid the back end of the Trans Am around.

"Show off," Dikon said.

They climbed out.

"Lewis Kenton II," Jescritch called as the boy got out of the Camry. "I claim your soul in the name of Beelzebub"

"No," Lewis called.

"What does he mean 'no'?" Aldein said.

"You had to claim my soul by midnight."

"It's eleven fifty one," Jescritch said.

"Yeah, in Greensburg." Lewis pointed back down the dark road. "But we crossed from Central into Eastern time. It twelve fifty. You're too late."

"Hey," Dikon said. "That's cheating."

"Yeah," Aldein said. "Anyway we were driving north-westish. How could we have gone forward in time like that?"

Jescritch slumped onto the hood of the Trans Am. "He's right. We just failed the test."

"Outsmarted," Dikon said. "Well at least it was great pizza."

Aldein clipped him over the head.