The Castrator by Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov (short books for teens txt) 📕

AFTER A BRIEF REFLECTION, HE DECIDED THAT HE MIGHT AS WELL COME WITH US TO AYOWA, WHERE THERE WERE A VARIETY OF AGRICULTURAL COMPETITIONS, WHERE HE DECIDED TO TEST HIS SKILLS. OF COURSE THAT WOULD HAVE SLOWED US DOWN A BIT, OR SO I THOUGHT, BUT THEN AGAIN, EXPERIENCE HAD TOLD ME SO FAR THAT NO PART OF OUR ODYSSEY WAS THE RESULT OF CHANCE, BUT OF A MUCH DEEPER DESIGN.

- "IN FAIRFIELD THEY DO THESE ODDITIES," HE CALLED, IN THE TYPICAL MIDDLE STATES DRAWL, "IT WILL CERTAINLY BE INTERESTING THERE!"

ON THE WAY, ARLO KEPT UP HIS WITTICISMS, BUT ONLY ENOUGH TO LIFT OUR SPIRITS. IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT THE ENTIRE HIPSTER SUBCULTURE WAS BUILT ON THE PRINCIPLE OF BELONGING TO NO ONE, ANYWHERE. THAT'S EXACTLY HOW I FELT AT THAT MOMENT.

IT'S STRANGE HOW ONE TRIES TO EXTRAPOLATE SUCH FEELINGS EVEN WHEN THEY DON'T CORRESPOND TO REALITY.

A SIOUX THOUGHT CAME TO MY MIND THAT FROM WAKAN TANKA COMES ALL POWER. THEN WHERE DID THE POWER OF A FELISTER COME FROM, AROUND WHOM SO MANY DESTINIES WERE INTERTWINED? SO STRANGE A CIRCLE WAS THERE IN THIS LIFE THAT SIMPLY CREATED ITS BEAUTY, BUT WHAT WAS THERE BEYOND IT, AND WAS THERE ANYTHING BEYOND AT ALL?

IT WAS HERE IN NEBRASKA THAT A FENTANYL INJECTION EXECUTION WAS CARRIED OUT, AND IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG FOR ME TO REMEMBER THAT FELISTER HAD ALSO MANAGED TO FIND A PRETTY GOOD USE FOR FENTANYL - ONLY FOR OTHER PURPOSES - AND ON A GRAND SCALE.

THE FURTHER WE WENT, I COULD SENSE THAT THE PEOPLE I WAS MOVING WITH WERE NOT RANDOM AND EACH WAS DRIVEN BY PERSONAL MOTIVES TO DISCOVER THE TRUTH ABOUT THEMSELVES. AND THAT TRUTH COULD PROVE TO BE TOO DANGEROUS!

ONCE WE REACHED OUR FINAL DESTINATION, WHERE GUS BENZOUR HAD TO LEAVE SOME HOUSEKEEPING ORDERS, HE DECIDED TO SHOW US SOMETHING ELSE. I FELT IN MY HEART THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE VITAL IN GETTING US TO THE RESERVE!

- "YOU KNOW?," HE TURNED TO US, "I DON'T THINK THERE'S A SINGLE NORMAL BATHROOM AROUND, SO DO YOU KNOW WHAT TEMASCAL MEANS?,“

- "YOU WANT TO PURIFY OUR SOULS, DON'T YOU," I ADDED SOMEWHAT JOKINGLY, "OR MAYBE MAKE A CONNECTION WITH OUR ANCESTORS?,“

GUS LOOKED KIND OF TIRED, BUT HE WAS COMPLETELY SERIOUS!

- BOTH! YOU HARDLY REALIZE WHAT A GREAT ORDEAL YOU ARE ABOUT TO FACE! YOU MUST BE CONCENTRATING ONE HUNDRED PERCENT!

WE HAD PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AFTER GUS HAD WON A BIG AND TASTY RABBIT IN ONE OF THE RACES AFTER BETTING ON THE OUTCOME WITH SOME RATHER DUBIOUS FELLOW WHO HAD DECIDED TO TAKE THE MISE TO THE SKIES. GUS SUBSEQUENTLY MANAGED TO GET HIS RABBIT, BUT TOOK ENOUGH SWEARING FROM THE GUY.

NOW AFTER THE STEAM BATH OUR MEAL WAS EVEN MORE ENJOYABLE.

- "THESE ANCIENT LANDS," SAID GUS, "HOLD MANY SECRETS. - I HOPE THE ANCIENT RITUAL OF TEMASCAL WILL HELP YOU."

WE ALL FELT REFRESHED AND NODDED APPROVINGLY.

- "THERE'S TOO MUCH SYMBOLISM IN THIS LIFE," HE SAID, TAKING A DRAG FROM A CIGARETTE THAT HE SOMEHOW MANAGED TO HOLD ON TO WHILE HE DRANK, "FOR INSTANCE, THIS PARTICULAR STATE WAS ONCE A DESERT, AND NOW IT'S ONE OF THE MOST AGRICULTURALLY DEVELOPED. AND THE OGALLALA RESERVOIR PROVIDES WATER FOR THE ENTIRE STATE. BUT YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT'S BEYOND, DON'T YOU?,“

AFTER A BRIEF REFLECTION, HE DECIDED THAT HE MIGHT AS WELL COME WITH US TO AYOWA, WHERE THERE WERE A VARIETY OF AGRICULTURAL COMPETITIONS, WHERE HE DECIDED TO TEST HIS SKILLS. OF COURSE THAT WOULD HAVE SLOWED US DOWN A BIT, OR SO I THOUGHT, BUT THEN AGAIN, EXPERIENCE HAD TOLD ME SO FAR THAT NO PART OF OUR ODYSSEY WAS THE RESULT OF CHANCE, BUT OF A MUCH DEEPER DESIGN.

- "IN FAIRFIELD THEY DO THESE ODDITIES," HE CALLED, IN THE TYPICAL MIDDLE STATES DRAWL, "IT WILL CERTAINLY BE INTERESTING THERE!"

ON THE WAY, ARLO KEPT UP HIS WITTICISMS, BUT ONLY ENOUGH TO LIFT OUR SPIRITS. IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT THE ENTIRE HIPSTER SUBCULTURE WAS BUILT ON THE PRINCIPLE OF BELONGING TO NO ONE, ANYWHERE. THAT'S EXACTLY HOW I FELT AT THAT MOMENT.

IT'S STRANGE HOW ONE TRIES TO EXTRAPOLATE SUCH FEELINGS EVEN WHEN THEY DON'T CORRESPOND TO REALITY.

A SIOUX THOUGHT CAME TO MY MIND THAT FROM WAKAN TANKA COMES ALL POWER. THEN WHERE DID THE POWER OF A FELISTER COME FROM, AROUND WHOM SO MANY DESTINIES WERE INTERTWINED? SO STRANGE A CIRCLE WAS THERE IN THIS LIFE THAT SIMPLY CREATED ITS BEAUTY, BUT WHAT WAS THERE BEYOND IT, AND WAS THERE ANYTHING BEYOND AT ALL?

IT WAS HERE IN NEBRASKA THAT A FENTANYL INJECTION EXECUTION WAS CARRIED OUT, AND IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG FOR ME TO REMEMBER THAT FELISTER HAD ALSO MANAGED TO FIND A PRETTY GOOD USE FOR FENTANYL - ONLY FOR OTHER PURPOSES - AND ON A GRAND SCALE.

THE FURTHER WE WENT, I COULD SENSE THAT THE PEOPLE I WAS MOVING WITH WERE NOT RANDOM AND EACH WAS DRIVEN BY PERSONAL MOTIVES TO DISCOVER THE TRUTH ABOUT THEMSELVES. AND THAT TRUTH COULD PROVE TO BE TOO DANGEROUS!

ONCE WE REACHED OUR FINAL DESTINATION, WHERE GUS BENZOUR HAD TO LEAVE SOME HOUSEKEEPING ORDERS, HE DECIDED TO SHOW US SOMETHING ELSE. I FELT IN MY HEART THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE VITAL IN GETTING US TO THE RESERVE!

- "YOU KNOW?," HE TURNED TO US, "I DON'T THINK THERE'S A SINGLE NORMAL BATHROOM AROUND, SO DO YOU KNOW WHAT TEMASCAL MEANS?,“

- "YOU WANT TO PURIFY OUR SOULS, DON'T YOU," I ADDED SOMEWHAT JOKINGLY, "OR MAYBE MAKE A CONNECTION WITH OUR ANCESTORS?,“

GUS LOOKED KIND OF TIRED, BUT HE WAS COMPLETELY SERIOUS!

- BOTH! YOU HARDLY REALIZE WHAT A GREAT ORDEAL YOU ARE ABOUT TO FACE! YOU MUST BE CONCENTRATING ONE HUNDRED PERCENT!

WE HAD PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AFTER GUS HAD WON A BIG AND TASTY RABBIT IN ONE OF THE RACES AFTER BETTING ON THE OUTCOME WITH SOME RATHER DUBIOUS FELLOW WHO HAD DECIDED TO TAKE THE MISE TO THE SKIES. GUS SUBSEQUENTLY MANAGED TO GET HIS RABBIT, BUT TOOK ENOUGH SWEARING FROM THE GUY.

NOW AFTER THE STEAM BATH OUR MEAL WAS EVEN MORE ENJOYABLE.

- "THESE ANCIENT LANDS," SAID GUS, "HOLD MANY SECRETS. - I HOPE THE ANCIENT RITUAL OF TEMASCAL WILL HELP YOU."

WE ALL FELT REFRESHED AND NODDED APPROVINGLY.

- RESERVES ARE ONLY A TEMPORARY SOLUTION. WHAT WILL A PERSON DO WHO DOESN'T BELONG ANYWHERE? WHERE WILL HE GO? THEIR ORIGINAL INTENT DEGENERATED, AND BLUEBIRD...

- "A BLUE BIRD? SO YOU KNOW HIM!," EXCLAIMED ARLO EXCITEDLY, "YOU MUST BE AWARE OF HIS ABILITIES."

GUS DID NOT REPLY. HE ONLY TOOK A THOUGHTFUL DRAG FROM HIS CIGARETTE. THE SMOKE FORMED STRANGE SHAPES IN THE AIR THAT LOOKED TO ME AS IF THEY HAD MAGICAL SIGNIFICANCE. I HAD THE FEELING THAT GUS WAS A STRANGE BIRD.

FROM WHERE HE WAS INITIATED INTO THE MAGIC OF TEMASCAL, AND ALSO APPARENTLY ACQUAINTED WITH A BLUEBIRD.

- "YOU KNOW," HE BEGAN HUMBLY, "THIS COUNTRY WAS BUILT WITH GOOD INTENTIONS, BUT IN TODAY'S CHAOTIC WORLD, SURVIVAL FOR ANY OF US IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT. AND NOW IT'S TIME TO SLEEP!"

BY MORNING, GUS HAD DISAPPEARED, AND THE THREE OF US, ZONAR AND ARLO, LOOKED AROUND IN CONFUSION. WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, SO TO SPEAK, AND THE FIRE AROUND US HAD BEEN CAREFULLY PUT OUT.

- "AFTER ALL, GUS DID QUITE ENOUGH FOR US!," ZONARA STARTED TO SAY, BUT AFTER A WHILE WE SAW HIS PICKUP COMING FROM SOMEWHERE.

- "I HAD TO STOP AT A GAS STATION ABOUT FIFTEEN OR TWENTY MILES AWAY TO BUY SOME PROVISIONS. IT'S NOT GOOD TO GO TO THE RESERVE EMPTY-HANDED!," HE EXPLAINED TO US CAREFULLY.

AFTER A COUPLE OF HOURS WE BEGAN TO MAKE OUT THE OUTLINE OF A MENOMINEE, WHICH BEGAN TO SLOWLY EMERGE IN FRONT OF US, AND THERE WE HOPED TO FIND A BLUEBIRD.

- "MANY OF THE INDIANS WHO ARE HERE MUST ALSO ENGAGE IN GAMBLING TO SURVIVE, BUT IT IS DONE MAINLY AMONG MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. BUT THE TRUTH IS THAT THEY ARE VERY GOOD BUSINESSMEN AND THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE DOING WELL ENOUGH, MAYBE EVEN BETTER THAN A LOT OF OTHERS," EXPLAINED GUS. "THE GAMBLING BUSINESS IS THEIRS AND A BLUEBIRD IS A SERIOUS PERSON. KEEP IN MIND THAT THEIR LAWS RULE ON THE RESERVATION," GAS CONCLUDED HIS TIRADE, "BY THE WAY, THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT HAS LEGALIZED THE USE OF MARIJUANA ON THE RESERVATION[1]. IN PRACTICE, THIS RESERVE FUNCTIONS AS A PARALLEL STATE."

ARLO WAS VERY HAPPY WHEN HE HEARD THIS, BECAUSE HE COULD OFFER THE INDIANS RARE VARIETIES OF DUTCH HEMP - IF THEY WERE INTERESTED, OF COURSE, AND THE PRICE SUITED THEM.

AFTER WE HAD WALKED AROUND WITH THE ZONAR AND ARLO, WE QUESTIONED THE NATIVES ABOUT SOME PECULIARITIES OF THE LOCAL CULTURE, AND THEY PROMISED TO NOTIFY BLUEBIRD OF OUR ARRIVAL.

- "IT TURNED OUT THAT THE BLUEBIRD WAS OUT ON BUSINESS SOMEWHERE, BUT WOULD BE BACK AT DUSK," GUS INFORMED US, WHO TO MY AMAZEMENT SPOKE THE LOCAL LANGUAGE QUITE FLUENTLY.

YOU SHOULD HAVE HEARD THOSE EVER SO MELODIOUS SOUNDS, FULL OF MYSTICISM. I THANKED THE ALMIGHTY THAT THERE WERE NO COYOTES HANGING AROUND - OR AT LEAST NOT WHERE WE WERE.

THE PEOPLE SEEMED EXTREMELY CONSIDERATE AND OPEN TO ME, YET WE WERE STRANGERS AND THEY COULD NOT WELCOME US WITH OPEN ARMS.

BLUEBIRD WAS LINGERING, AND NOW NIGHT WAS FALLING, AND WE WONDERED IF WE WOULD EVEN BE ABLE TO SEE HIM OR IF WE WOULD JUST HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL MORNING.

GUS SUGGESTED WE EAT SOMETHING FROM HIS PROVISIONS AND I ACCEPTED WHOLEHEARTEDLY - IT WAS BETTER THAN NOTHING.

- "BASICALLY," GUS DECIDED TO USE THE LITTLE TIME HE HAD TO FILL US IN ON SOME DETAILS, "THE SIOUX ARE ONE OF THE MOST PROSPEROUS AND WEALTHY TRIBAL COMMUNITIES IN THE US PRECISELY BECAUSE OF THE GAMBLING BUSINESS, BUT A BLUEBIRD IS A CAYUGA, AND THIS TRIBE ALSO INHABITS ONTARIO IN CANADA, WHERE THEY INHABIT THE SIX NATIONS RESERVE NEAR GRAND RIVER IN CANADA. I'M ASSUMING BLUEBIRD IS SOME SORT OF LIAISON BETWEEN THE TRIBES AND IS GETTING SOME SERIOUS DIVIDENDS FROM THERE."

LATER, GUS MAY HAVE BEEN RIGHT.

MAYBE THERE HAD BEEN SOME SORT OF ALTERCATION OR DISARRAY, BUT BLUEBIRD WAS DEFINITELY NOT COMING, AND IT WAS GETTING LATE. WE WONDERED IF WE SHOULD GO TO BED WITH ZONARA, OR IF ARLO WAS GOING TO CONTINUE SMOKING HIS MARIJUANA, WHICH HAD CAUGHT THE EYE OF THE LOCALS, AND STAND A KIND OF COMBAT DUTY.

NOTHING INTERESTING WAS HAPPENING, AND I WAS STILL EXPECTING SOME SORT OF RESOLUTION.

AT ONE TIME I HEARD THAT A BLUEBIRD HAD RETURNED, AND I LEARNED FROM GUS HIMSELF, WHO COULD TRANSLATE THE INARTICULATE SOUNDS, THAT APPARENTLY HE HAD GONE AS FAR AS A NEW SCOTIA TO BEG FOR SOME PROTECTION FROM INFLUENTIAL POLITICIANS. BUT NOT TOO FAR FROM THE RESERVE HE HAD ENCOUNTERED SOME DRUG CARTEL REPRESENTATIVES HOT ON OUR HEELS WHO HAD WOUNDED HIM AND HE HAD MIRACULOUSLY ESCAPED. HE MIGHT NOT EVEN HAVE SURVIVED.

- "THE MAGIC IS STRONG!" ZONARA PRONOUNCED,"AND I WILL SAVE HIM.

YES, THERE WERE PEOPLE ON THE INDIAN RESERVATION WHO COULD HEAL SO-CALLED INCURABLE WOUNDS INFLICTED BY COLD OR FIREARMS, BUT ZONARA KNEW THE NATURE OF MAGIC ALL TOO DEEPLY AND WAS AWARE THAT THERE WAS ALSO DEMONIC INTERFERENCE HERE THAT MIGHT NOT BE SO WELL KNOWN TO THE NATIVES.

BUT WE WERE ABOUT TO LEARN SOMETHING QUITE INTERESTING LATER!

IT TURNED OUT THAT THE MEXICAN DRUG CARTELS DESIRED AND CRAVED CONTROL OVER CERTAIN TERRITORIES, SUCH AS THIS ONE, BECAUSE THEY COULD MORE EASILY DISPOSE OF THE DRUGS IN CANADA. APPARENTLY BLUEBIRD DIDN'T PARTICULARLY AGREE WITH THEIR ARGUMENTS AND THEY HAD HIM SHOT. TO MY EXPERIENCED EYE, WHICH WAS QUITE FAMILIAR WITH THE FELISTER ARSENAL, THE GUNSHOT WOUND WAS MOST LIKELY CAUSED BY A REVOLVER OF SOME SORT, BUT I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF BALLISTICS.

BLUEBIRD WAS STILL BREATHING. LIFE SEEMED TO BE LEAVING HIM, AND HE WAS UNWILLING TO GO JUST LIKE THAT - WITHOUT PASSING ON HIS KNOWLEDGE OF THE ASTRAL WORLD TO SOMEONE ELSE. AROUND HIM, ZONARA HOVERED, FEELING THE NEED