Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

N ight had fallen by the time Errante led Bel past colorful tents to a gathering of wheeled vehicles in various states of repair. Several men and women sat around a fire in flimsy chairs, their legs stretching out in front of them. How odd—and uncomfortable-looking—not to perch on a floating cushion like he would have in Domus. None appeared overawed at Errante's presence, as some council members often were at Udeall's approach.

But Errante was their version of Udeall, right?

"Good evening," Errante said. "I'd like you to meet Bellamy, who is joining us as a roustabout. I trust you will make him feel at home."

One man stood, a cheerful grin on his tanned face. "You can count on us. Would you like a beer?" The man's sandy blond hair curled out around his face where it had escaped a tie at the nape of his neck. He appeared sturdily built, though not as bulky as Bel's new body. This man had an open manner, and crinkles formed around his eyes when he smiled. Rugged but handsome, in Kevin's lingering opinion. Would Bel ever get used to having thoughts that weren't his own in his head? They were useful but also alien.

Errante gave the man a warm smile. "No, thank you, Joe. I cannot stay. But Bel might care for one."

Joe eyed Bel, the smile never leaving his face. "Has he got a place to stay?"

"Not yet. I am going to make arrangements."

"He can stay with me," Joe offered. "I have an extra bed in my RV."

Errante inclined his head. "Thank you. I'll have supplies brought. Good night." A few of the men and women watched Errante leave with appreciation in their eyes—Joe included. Joe sighed. He was the last to turn away when Errante faded from sight.

One man disappeared into the darkness and returned with a contraption that unfolded into a chair. "Here you go. Park your ass right there."

Park his what? Bel studied the chair, so different from the one in Errante's office, as it elevated the feet. He'd pull a cushion under him at home and float above the ground. All eyes were on Bel.

Joe made a great show of sitting on the seat of his chair and turning so his back rested on the upward-slanting portion, and his legs occupied the downward part. Oh. While Kevin's instincts offered some instructions, maneuvering a human body might take some practice.

While Joe distracted the others with a story involving lots of hand waving, Bel followed Joe's example and gingerly contorted himself into the chair amidst a group of roustabouts—whatever that meant. A smiling human pressed a canned beer into his hand and popped the top. No, wait. Bel was human now, too, wasn't he? How odd to think of himself as such.

Catching Bel's eye, Joe lifted his beer slowly, put the edge of the can against his lips, and poured the liquid into his mouth. The drink smelled bitter. How odd to consume food and drink in such a manner, but Bel's stomach rumbled and his mouth felt dry, which his body interpreted as thirst and hunger.

Bel mimicked Joe's action, letting the liquid from the can pour over his tongue and sputtered, beer spilling from his mouth all over the stolen shirt. Breathe! He couldn't breathe! Bel coughed and couldn't stop.

Joe was there in an instant and slapped Bel on the back. "It's okay," he whispered. "You're not the only one to need time to learn."

Bel sat in the long chair, which was so much less comfortable than the floating cushions of his homeland. He stretched out his legs and sat perfectly still to keep the thing from toppling. He attempted another smaller sip. Joe smiled when he didn't choke. The liquid tasted bitter, but it quenched Bel's thirst.

Someone beside him spoke. "So, where are you from, Bellamy?"

Someone else asked, "What do you think of the Carnival?" or "You remind me of…" or "I'm Andy/Ralph/Debbie/Susie/Kim…"

Bel sipped his beer, struggling to keep up with the barrage of questions and information flung his way, most of which he probably didn't even answer. This was a waste of time! The Tenebris could be out in the world even now, wreaking havoc.

Errante's words came back to him. What good would he do if he couldn't even hide the fact that he wasn't human?

Bel seemed to experience new things faster than Kevin's body could process with their newly formed connection. Thoughts and feelings whirled too fast to study before they fled, replaced by new ones. This body seemed sturdy, though, and able to handle a few missteps. While most of his new companions had solid builds and muscles, Bel stood out as the tallest and most muscular.

"That's enough for now, y'all," Joe drawled. "Let the man be."

Another feeling came over Bel: affection or gratitude? He'd work out the nuances later. For now, he focused on the fire warming his skin and the drink filling him from within.

Joe strode around the group and leaned in close. "I think you're probably tired. I was on my first day here. Why don't I show you where you'll be sleeping?" He held the chair steady while Bel rose. "Goodnight, guys."

Bel followed Joe into the darkness to a chorus of "Goodnights" in various tones, accents, and possibly even languages.

Lights shone from the windows of some of the wheeled structures. "This is ours." Joe opened the door of one of the smallest and possibly oldest models, judging by the dents and scrapes in the exterior. He waved Bel inside, closed the door behind them, and turned on the lights.

The most wonderful aroma assailed Bel's nose, warm and mouthwatering, though he couldn't identify the scent. His stomach rumbled. "What is that?"

The customary smile returned to Joe's face. "Fried chicken. Errante sent supplies. You're obviously not from around here, and judging by the beer incident, it's better for you to learn to eat human style in private." He crossed a sitting area into a narrow space lined with big and small metal boxes. A fridge, stove , and microwave, Kevin's memories informed him. Food apparently required a lot of preparation devices.

It was so much easier to absorb nutrients from the air.

Joe returned with two small boxes, "Sit," he commanded, pointing to a far sturdier chair than Bel had sat in earlier.

Bel sat. Joe placed the boxes on a small table and made a second trip to the kitchen, returning with two bottles. He removed both bottle caps and set them aside.

Joe opened both boxes and removed something brown. "This is a chicken leg. Hold it to your mouth and take a bite of the meat, but not the bone."

Bel observed Joe for several moments before attempting a bite for himself, taking care not to choke again. He bit through a crunchy coating and moaned at the flavorful juices hitting his tongue, along with some kind of spice. The chicken itself was tender and mild in flavor. "This is so good."

Joe grinned. "My favorite. Now"—he placed the brown morsel back in the box, pulled out a cup, and removed the lid. He handed the cup to Bel along with a small pronged device, explaining before Bel could try to decipher the object. "This is a spork. If you weren't so tired, your host would likely fill you in on all this, but we need to get food into you tonight. Now, dip up some of this slaw with the spork and put it into your mouth."

Bel did as told. Oh, that was good, cold instead of hot like the other food, with a bit of crunch and mild sweetness. He consumed every scrap of food in the box with minimal encouragement and sipped from the bottle of water.

Joe ate his own meal and then took the empty boxes back to the kitchen. "How do you feel?"

"Good." Bel's mouth stretched wide in what it took a moment to realize was a yawn.

"Time for bed." Joe motioned toward a smaller room. "Here's the bathroom. I'll help as much or as little as you need." He rose and handed Bel a bit of cloth that turned out to be shorts.

Luckily, Kevin's memories served well here, though they were erratic; at least they allowed Bel to see to his body's needs. Then he sat on his chair in the main room in a pair of loose shorts to wait for Joe, examining his new body. His chest was broad in comparison to some of the other roustabouts and decidedly male, based on the differences he'd picked up between male and female. His muscles were firm beneath his probing fingers, and copper-colored curls adorned his chest.

He spared a peek into the shorts. More copper curls and a rather impressive package, if Kevin's memories were to be believed.

Joe emerged from the bathroom, similarly dressed, with a light dusting of brownish hair covering his chest, arms, and legs. His well-defined muscles were accentuated, and Bel noticed a hint of a shadow on his jaw that he hadn't noticed before. It also occurred to Bel that Joe's hair, now hanging wet and loose down his back, had been lightened by working in the sun.

Something squirmed low in Bel's belly, and his body responded to the image, his cock starting to get hard. Heat rushed to his face. What…?

Joe chuckled, glancing down at the tenting in Bel's shorts. "Don't worry about it. It's a natural human reaction and quite complimentary. Now, let's go to bed. We can talk there." He showed Bel to another area with two small beds . Nothing hung from the ceiling. How was he supposed to sleep?

Joe demonstrated once more, lying down. "This is how we sleep."

Bel slowly eased onto the bed and stuffed a fluffy pillow beneath his head as Joe did.

"You don't have to tell me, but where are you from?" Joe's casual manner made talking to him easy, not like the other humans Bel had met since his arrival from Domus, asking rapid-fire questions. Joe also gave Bel a choice not to tell. "I noticed you never answered that question for the others."

"From Domus." Bel's heart clenched. "It's gone now."

Joe sat up, reaching out a hand. "I am so sorry. Are you okay? Is there anything I can do?"

Bel took Joe's hand. Such a little contact, but sharing his pain with someone else brought a measure of comfort. "My family and friends have been gone for a while since Domus collapsed a bit at a time. Now it's all gone." Stabbing pain twisted in Bel's chest.

Joe crossed the distance, taking Bel into his arms. "I'm from a small village without all the conveniences we have currently around us. My home is gone, too. Many of us here at the Carnival have a similar story. We understand." For the first time, sadness tinged Joe's normally cheerful demeanor. "But I'm here for you. If you need anything, just let me know."

The embrace felt so good, easing some of Bel's loneliness. He wiped his leaking eyes with his fingers, sniffled, and lay back on the bed.

Slowly, keeping his gaze fixed on Bel, Joe retreated to his own bed.

So much had happened today. Bel had started his morning in Domus, summoned to a council meeting, arrived in Terra in what might've been late morning, located a body, escaped a hospital, and now found himself here in some bizarre Carnival around people who might or might not all be human.

And some, like Errante and Joe, knew who Bel was. Were they honestly trying to help him? What if they secretly wanted to keep him from carrying out his purpose?

He watched Joe reading a book across the room with heavy-lidded eyes, a soft blue aura surrounding the man. Blue. A healing color. Errante's aura stayed hidden, but Bel sensed nothing evil about him. Nothing evil about the Carnival. Errante had even mentioned a Path.

What if Bel truly was here for help?

His eyelids grew heavy, and he lost consciousness to the sound of Joe's singing in a rich baritone, in chittered words eerily similar to Domus speech.

Bel woke up to a strange environment, with sunlight streaming in a window above his bed. A table had replaced the bathroom, with a water pitcher and bowls, and the kitchen was merely wooden cabinets with the metal boxes gone.

Bel bolted from the bed. "What?—?"

Joe opened one eye, ran it over Bel and the room, and closed it again. "The Carnival stays in the same place for a short time. Sometimes, only a day. We go to many worlds, and everything in the Carnival reflects our environment. Since we're in a basic wagon, we're in a more primitive world than we were yesterday. You'll get used to it."

"Many worlds?" Panic hit Bel square in the chest. "But I need to be in Terra!"

Joe merely rolled over. "You will be when the time is right. Trust the Carnival. Trust Errante. Time and distance aren't obstacles."

Bel tiptoed away from the beds into a small sitting area far different than where he'd spoken with Joe the previous night. A stack of clothes lay in the chair he'd sat in, with a pair of sturdy boots next to the chair on the floor.

He donned a pull-on cotton shirt in pale beige and brown trousers with drawstring closures. The hide boots fit his feet.

Joe came into the room, fully dressed. "Let's go get breakfast."

Bel followed Joe outside, expecting to see the same RVs from the night before. Nothing but wagons and tents. Joe didn't bat an eye at the strangeness; he merely led Bel into a far larger tent set up with tables and benches. "Sit down. Wait right here. I'll get us something to eat."

Bel studied the few people at the tables, engrossed in their meals or in conversation. He sat.

Joe returned with a tray and dropped down on the opposite side of the table, placing a steaming mug and a plate in front of Bel, keeping another each for himself. He pulled eating utensils from his shirt pocket. "I'm not sure if you've had coffee before, but some people find it an acquired taste. I added sugar and cream to yours."

Kevin's memories said sugar and cream were good things.

The coffee smelled bitter, but Bel took a sip and jerked back at the heat from the cup. He took another sip, more tentative this time. Not bad. Not bad at all. Watching Joe for a few moments allowed him to figure out what to do next, and he put a forkful of fluffy eggs into his mouth.

Wow! Those tasted great, though he didn't know if that was his opinion or Kevin's.

Joe smiled and winked. "Thought you'd like those."

Bel sipped coffee and ate eggs, more confident now in his abilities. He noticed others who appeared to be mentors hovering over their charges, demonstrating the use of silverware or cups. Every passing moment made Bel feel more at home. But they were wasting precious time. The Tenebris needed to arrive.

But how would the being arrive after Bel, having left Domus before?

Time and distance aren't obstacles.