26 - Low Lifes Like Us

Kyrus was tired and shaky enough that he didn’t much care what the Zon was looking for, because she didn’t mark him out in any way, he figured that he didn’t have the mysterious ‘something’. One more line up and the whole class was dismissed.

He stayed behind to run the mop over the palee floor, a task he had found that would delay him long enough that he didn’t have to endure the showers with everyone else, while Jashi oiled, wiped and stowed everyone’s staff. The squeals and splashing of water heard dimly through the door had stopped before the two of them, and Werfas headed for the echoing, steamy shower room.

Jashi and Werfas had been slow as well, having to wait for the hot cistern to fill after the first rush of students through. The first to the showers always got the hottest water.

“So, you going to Honey’s tonight, Kyrus?” Werfas cranked open the tap and stuck his matted hair under the water, sighing. He’d admitted to Kyrus and thus to Jashi, that he’d formerly been the last to shower, because of his scars. 

Something had happened; years ago from how faded the ladders of scar tissue running from his lower back, down his right leg. Kyrus hadn’t thought to comment on it, because he was trying to be polite and not look, busying himself with getting clean as fast as possible and when Jashi had asked, Werfas – absolutely shameless as far as Kyrus was concerned, despite his self-professed shyness -- had leaned back against the wet stone with his arms crossed across his chest and had just shaken his head no. Whatever had happened, it hadn’t crippled him.

“Um, yes. Do you, um, well I know you don’t like tea but…”

“For a Lainz, Brakayus serves good coffee.”

“Can I come, too?” Jashi chimed in, scrambling after the soap.

For a second Kyrus and Werfas’s eyes caught, perfectly in accord in a way that Kyrus just wasn’t used to. “No, squirt,” Werfas said, lathering his armpits. “Your family wants you home today, remember? Your big sister and her family are coming to show off the new baby.”

“Oh. Yeah.”

“Perhaps if your father gives you permission to be with us, Jashi.” Kyrus said, shaking off the excess water and beginning to wring out his hair. “He may not wish you to… to…” He wasn’t sure how to phrase it without insulting either the boy or himself.

“Hang around with low-lifes like us.” Werfas cut in, grinning.

“You’re not!”

“Jash, its all right, I’m just joking. Some other day, all right?”

“Yeah.”

It was odd, to have friends. In the Basin there were gang boys, rivals for position, those who backed you up against another gang though he’d found out the hard way that couldn’t be trusted.  Acquaintances, other boy whores to be kept at arm’s length. Other than that, there were men to be salaamed to and served as possible customers, or men to run from to escape arrest and exposure, women to be polite to, and otherwise ignored. He’d not been formally introduced to any respectable girls. Besides, girls weren't friends, they were wives or zardukar or widows.

“Hey, squirt!” Werfas called Jashi back as he headed for the change room. “Your hair’s still wet. You don’t want to freeze your head outside.” He caught the little boy in his towel and held him while he scrubbed his head dry… well, drier, anyway. “Go on. See you tomorrow!”

“Sure, Werfas!” Jashi ducked the snapped towel and ran to get changed, the older boys following.

“Kyrus.”

Werfas wrapped the towel around his middle, his smile for Jashi smoothing out to his more serious face.

“Yes?”

“The Zon was looking for you when you were in the necessary and asked me to pass on that she wants to talk to you before you head off.”

Kyrus paused in the act of pulling his clothes out of the cubby and looked over.

“Yeah.” Werfas pulled his sweater on over his head. “She said she’d be in her office.”

Well, she praised me today. That means she isn’t likely to go to this length just kick me out, would she?

“Okay, thanks for letting me know.” He tried to keep his sudden discomfort hidden.

“Sure, Kyrus. I’ll see you at Honey’s, then.  I’ll save you a chair, its going to be crowded tonight.”

“Thanks, Werfas.” Kyrus sat down as the other boy pulled on his boots and coat and clumped down the hallway. If I’m still here, tonight. He couldn’t make himself get up right away. He was settling in, finding friends, but it was still as alien as if he had to set his head on backwards every morning.  He sighed and pushed himself up, taking his outside gear with him.

The Zon had her office just inside the main door and he tapped on it and entered. The office was a windowless cubby almost filled by a desk, a chair, more books than Kyrus had ever thought could exist in one place balanced precariously on over-stuffed shelves and a very small black and tan dog whose life functions seemed to be to lick students, bark every time there was an odd knock, and lie under the Zon’s desk producing huge amounts of malodorous gas.

His eyes watering, Kyrus asked, “You wanted to see me, Zon?” Does she breathe?

She nodded at him. “You should smell Lem when she hauls home beaver or muskrat carcasses bigger than she is.”

“Um.” There didn’t seem to be any polite answer to that. She coughed slightly.

“I’ll have mercy on you and tell you quickly. You and Nomirus and little Malyissen all need extra classes. Tell your kitchen and shoveling details that you’ll have less time for them.”

“Oh. Yes, Zon. I thought I was that bad.” At least it wasn’t kicking him out.

The look on her face seemed ironic. “I see. Well, the three of you will be working out with iron bars as opposed to mere iron bound sticks.”

Kyrus set his teeth. Wonderful. “I will let everyone know.”

“Good. Now go on with you, get a breath of fresh air.” If he didn’t know better that the teacher could not smile, he’d swear there was a grin in her gravelly voice. The dog under the desk stretched in her sleep and let loose an audible fart. “Perhaps I will, too,” she said as he fled the oncoming stench, out into the deep cold. It wasn’t too bad, he realized because it was warm enough to be snowing again.