Ch. 41

The next morning, Eric woke up with no clue where he was. It was clearly not his room at home. Nor was it another hotel, or some woman's sofa in Wheatsfield. It was a mostly empty room, except for his bed, a table with a book on it and a fresh robe hanging up. Presently, he remembered the previous day. As it came back in bits and pieces, it began to dawn on him how screwed he was. Also that he needed to meet Vlad soon.
He put on the new robe, and was about to head out of the door, when an oddly familiar man rushed in.
"Eric Smellick?" he asked matter-of-factly.
"Yeah."
"If you want to save Gina, it would be best if you came with me now."
That guy was smart, said Eric's better judgement, sending some flunky to test my loyalty to the cult would be just his style.
"Of course I don't know what you're talking about," he lied, "What would I save her from? She's happily engaged."
"I know you don't believe that because I kept them from putting drugs in your tea, at great risk to myself, although not as great as the risk of my coming here. Now I want to help my sister, too, so cut the act and come with me."
Eric's better judgement gave the go ahead, and he followed the man out of the room. The man handed him a pair of sunglasses.
"Put these on. It was brave of you to come in here as a convert, but stupid. How did you think my father kept these people in his cult? It's not the food, and it's definitely not the fashion. He's discovered a cheap to produce and very effective mind control drug. It's in the water everywhere but the mansion. You know why not there?"
"He didn't want to drug himself?"
"That, and he didn't think he needed to drug his family. Gina made him think twice though, and when Rob and I brought her back, he drugged her. And I think he's trying to get me too, but he's already told me too much about how to run this place."
"You're telling me, that despite the fact that YOU were an accessory to Gina's kidnapping, you have only her best interests at heart now?"
"That's all I've ever had, and I don't think you're in a position to be giving me any bullshit, Eric." He spat the word 'Eric' like poison.
"No, there's enough of that around here already." Eric shot back.
"You know, I'm trying to be on your side. And for your information, I saved Gina from the kidnapper. He wasn't one of ours. Rob thought he was, but the fact is he was gonna hold her as a hostage against dad. When Rob found out who he was (and it took the oaf long enough) he called me, because he knew I'd cut the politics and just save my little sister. Which I did. I know you care about her or else you wouldn't be there, so let's help her out, ok?"
"I'm with you til she and I get out of here, and no longer. And I want an artifact."
"What's it gonna take to drill it through your head that you've got NO BARGAINING CHIPS?"
"I've still got one."
"And what's that, Eric?"
"The Sacred Lobster," (beat) "Of bun-Doom."
The man was silent for a minute. Eric had obviously caught him off guard with that one.
"That'll make things easier," he finally said, "Have I told you my name?"
"No."
"You can call me Kyle. Now, you need to get out to the fields, or they'll get suspicious. I'll meet you in the meal hall when your break comes up."
"See you then," Eric replied, unsuccessfully hiding his bitterness. He headed out to the fields, by way of his rendevous point with Vlad.