A World Apart: Original Souls Part 15

While sitting on the smoothly paved emerald road, he took a quick look around. His recon revealed a great deal. Too much even, which he figured was the perfect setting for a little imaginative magik.

He put his glowing purple hand in front of his mouth, as he heard more chilling howls calling in the distance. He saw nothing but gray skies as he looked out beyond the far edges of the colorful emerald road. Russ' yellow house stood out, but not by far. There were many colorful houses lining the long winding road. Reds, blues, oranges etc. And the road was lined on either side with silver bushes. They looked to Criston like they were sprinkled with pixie dust. But he had no way of knowing whether that existed in the afterlife. He was sitting just in front of those bushes on Russ' side of the road, when he made a bold choice to deceive his pursuers.

"Spiritus Capere," he whispered with the hand of fate idling so close to his face.

His hand lit up a steady violet, as he used his magik to pull a blue lit thread out through his nose. His nostrils flared up and he gritted his teeth, trying not to yell out. The pain wasn't too bad, but it tickled him. And he's a ticklish fellow, so he wasn't nearing a scream... he wanted to laugh from the thread brushing the sides of his nose as he slowly tugged on it. But that would divulge his position to the hounds, Cris figured. He didn't know exactly how perceptive they were, so he was better safe than sorry.

The thread was finally out. Cris gazed at it like it was something he'd forever miss. And it was. A piece of his spirit captured, now clutched between his fingers. He used some of the pa.s.sing winds to encase his breath in a perfect violet colored sphere. He then got up to his feet, and threw the violet orb of his breath clear across the low rooftops of Russell's former home. It landed in the small backyard, on a very plush and well kept tomato garden.

While the air bubble trapping his breath inside it lay in its final resting place, Cris breezed across the emerald road like a track star. He had been feeling a lot more athletic since all this trouble came about. He had a certain confidence in his speed now. He ducked down and hid behind the bushes on the opposite side of the road. He thought that he could give them the old slip and slide, while they searched for his breath of life in the back area. He'd gingerly tiptoe away, right from under their noses.

He stayed low. He didn't want anyone one, or anything to notice him. The silver line of bushes wasn't perfect cover, but it was all he had. He tried to stay as still as possible. He didn't want anything peering through and seeing him wiggling around like some five-year-old having a tantrum on the gra.s.sy grounds. He kept listen and continued to hear howls coming from the opposite end of the wide road. But nothing showed up. He thought, perhaps Russ had overreacted. Maybe they hadn't come for him after all.

After a few agonizing minutes, he poked his head out to take a look. He wasn't prepared for what came next.

This screech was different. Not only was it louder and more terrifying than the howling, but it was also all too familiar. Cris looked at his hand, as it rea.s.sembled his skin cells over it to cover up the true nature of what lies beneath. He didn't want that thing to see his hand sparkling like a beckoned call over to him.

It roared louder than he remembered. The flying jungle cat was back on the scene. It walked on the ground, while some daring fellow straddled its back, making it look even more imposing with the contrast of human to beast. The guy was just a dirt spec on top of a mountain to Criston's line of sight, from behind the bushes. While he laid flat to the ground, all he saw was the monster that used its lightning tongue to tear apart those majestic, friendly firebirds.

Multiple hounds surrounded it, as well men draped in oversized burgundy velvet cloaks. The hooded cloaks were so large that they covered the tops of their heads and had much extra material hanging over. It seemed like it would block their view, but they moved around emphatically, with a sense of purpose. The extra material on the bottom revealed nothing. It dragged across the emerald road along with the persons covered up inside.

Cris hoped that they'd get caught on something then trip and fall, cracking their skulls open. Then he'd just have the beast to escape. Though the thought of tangling with that monstrous beast was no more promising than the cloaked figures he dared to trip over themselves. But when the first guy, holding back a leashed dull orange hound, kicked in the unscreened front door to Russell's house, he knew that wouldn't be the case. They moved very easily fully draped in the ma.s.sive overcoats. The yellow door had already lost its screen, and now this guy went ahead and clear lifted it off its hinges. The door fell flat to the ground, as the other orange hologram hounds anxiously sniffed around the perimeter of the one level house.

He wondered from across the road, what is it exactly that they're looking for? Was it him? Perhaps Russell? Or something he'd yet to find out about? Russell seemed to think it was both of them. So, he didn't want to just go over there and try to introduce himself to a ma.s.sive half-tiger, half-dragon creature. He figured, the less they saw of each other the better.

He didn't know why he was waiting around for them to figure out his escape plan. So he started escaping. He turned himself around steadily. Not knowing why he decided to lay flat down, facing the way he had walked into Eterna through the gate. He wasn't leaving just yet. And when he did decide to leave, he'd just use his portals, not the gate that had long disappeared since Russ brought him through it.

Sena. Hendrix had already informed him that he couldn't travel through Eterna by those means. He didn't understand why, but he didn't see any reason in questioning her. She only told him what she wanted to. That's how it always was with her. Though so many secrets locked up inside like that can drive a person mad. He giggled as he righted himself toward the end of the road. He knew his mom had long crossed over the bridges of insanity. He covered his mouth quickly. Mistakes like that could compromise his entire mission. Then Sena. Hendrix would really have something to complain about.

The gentle laughter now suppressed, he crawled swiftly, but with a huge emphasis on being inconspicuous. He knew he could only move when the mammoth beast was facing the direction of Russell's house. Otherwise, its height would steal glances of him crawling like a man-spider across the navy blue gra.s.s next to the silver bushes.

Criston obsessed over the odd color scheme in Eterna as he continued his crawl. That's when he came across something more earth like below. He was far away from the yellow house now, but he felt a need to stay down with his belly to the ground. An ocean opened beneath the cliffs his head dangled over. The emerald road ended at a cascading icy blue waterfall.

The sea breeze was refreshing. His face tingled with delight as it was sprayed with a light mist from the descending hydro-staircase that was this beautiful fall. The rushing river directly below the fall opened out into a larger wide ocean of still waters. The waters shimmered against the light of the sun. They all looked to be warm water bodies, because Cris could see steam rising off the surface. Not much steam, but a notable amount. He didn't understand a sea breeze and steam, but it was all there before his very eyes. The air in Eterna wasn't cold, but it certainly wasn't a warm place. Though as the Halls of Sorrow revealed, they were up pretty high in the sky. It had to be at least a little windy that far up in the clouds, right?

He was enjoying the sound of the rushing river water, until another tune started blaring, shocking him back to reality. Or at least eternity, or wherever he thought he was. No matter, because the hounds were howling again. He figured they found his decoy, and were now looking for him elsewhere. Or worse, they already picked up his scent. He mulled over the pros and cons of holding his breath for eternity, and figured it was a hopeless idea. He thought, only an idiot gets caught when he has an obvious way out. A terrifying way, but anything was better than being electrified by that flying-lizard-jungle-cat thing.

He took the deepest breath he could inhale and stood up fearlessly. He put his hands on his hips and looked out over the expanse of the topography. He noticed that the channel of water running beneath was very narrow. On the opposite side there was another waterfall, with craggy rock edges protruding out beneath the cover of streaming crystal blue water. Its peak laid much lower than the one he was standing on. The emerald road started back up over there, so he knew that's where he needed to be. He took another breath, but this one was shallow and quick.

He stepped back, far away from the cliffs. Then ran fast and hard, pushing off his heels out over them. He didn't want to hit any protruding jagged edges on his way down. His dive was in near perfect form. He looked professional as he flowed downward, just like the waterfall aligned to his straight-lined descendant body.

He'd almost pierced the surface of the deep river channel, when he was caught up by the large talon of the Tydrahn. He was swept away by the screeching dragon-like creature, as Drake, the creator of Draconia, rode atop it. Drake directed the magnificent beast upward, out of the channel, away through the gray skies of Eterna and to the Eternal Vista castle.

Chapter 16:.

Politics As Usual

April 30, 1002 ~ Daylight Sena. Hendrix's face was stern and purposeful as she stepped out of a black SUV. It drove into the atrium of the Parthenon in Hyperborean. It was nearly identical to the Parthenon in Draconia. Except the marble of the buildings here were tinted in a dingy cream color. Hyperborean's Parthenon was older than the other seven Worlds, so it had a purposely ancient look to it. The Chancellor felt that it distinguished Hyperborean from all the other Worlds.

A guard for her escort to the Parthenon attempted to grab her white glove covered hand as she exited the vehicle, but she scoffed at him. "Though I'm a lady, I do know how to get out of a car." She smiled politely, but her tone said; don't touch me-you Squadron goon!

"Of course, madam, whatever you like." He bowed like she was some sort of queen to him.

"Actually, the term is Senora in Hyperborean, not madam." She noticed his eye color was brown. She knew he was from Arco. But she always hated when people called her by any t.i.tle other than that of Maledictus. If someone said Miss, Misses, or Madam, she'd virtually freak out on them. She was adamant about using the proper terminology, in its rightful setting. She wished that people would simply speak in Maledictus all the time. But she understood that the cursed language inspired fear in many, so she allowed English in conversation. Which ticked her off unbelievably, but she really didn't have a choice.

The Squadron member was standing in front of the fountains outside the main building, when he stepped to the side and said, "I apologize again. I meant no disrespect."

She knew he meant it too. The Arcan people are known for their kindness and humility. That's most likely the reason the Hyperborean Chancellor, Nathaniel, had that unit transport her. He had been shamed by the media of every World for aiding Sebastian's raid on Aurora Boreal school. Which crazed the citizens of each World to surprise, considering the way most scandals are reported today. This was one event the 8ights couldn't seem to manipulate or suppress before it reached the ears of the ma.s.ses. People were concerned about what the Council was up to even more than before. He desperately wanted -Sena. Hendrix to publicly forgive him, so that the people of his home World wouldn't impeach him.

She continued on past the Arcan man, and he followed behind her after closing the car door. She walked with the poise of a princess, while possessing the bearing of a quintessential queen. The brown-eyed man, dressed in a neck to toe black jumpsuit, looked upon her with a calm grace. He thought she was quite beautiful for her age, and not only just for that alone. He watched as her black high heels clung to every step, as if either foot was a hammer banging in the nails that were the heels into the marble and concrete she dominated so effortlessly. She stomped like a fierce creature, which she was in many ways.

It was an unusually hot spring day, so for the first time since autumn, Sena. Hendrix wasn't wearing head to toe black. She ditched her usual cloaks and opted for a lavender sun dress. The purplish color against her dark brown skin made her daring blue eyes pop out. She tied a silk lavender and pink scarf around her neck. She tugged on it with hands covered by white gloves as she walked, making sure it was tight. Both the scarf and gloves took the look to a new level of sophistication. She was ready to make war in this boys club ... known as politics.

She pa.s.sed the entryway and hung a right, onward to the Chancellor's office. She walked halfway down the short hallway before she was stopped by none other than Sebastian himself.

"h.e.l.lo, Silvia," he said in a mockingly jovial tone. "What weather we're having this early Tuesday morning. Quite the perfect setting for our little meeting."

He was standing directly in front of Hendrix's admirer from Arco. She stared into his aqua-blue eyes, and he didn't waiver one bit from his uniquely s.a.d.i.s.tic character. An all black suit being his usual attire, so he hadn't disappointed in being so predictable today. That's exactly what he wore, even though he was certainly sweating bullets underneath it.

"Yes, you're right, it is a lovely day," she spoke, through clenched teeth. She wanted to punch him in the face for the trouble he'd caused.

"I'm sure you know what it's like to have a busy schedule, so I'm sorry I couldn't have held this meeting sooner over that minor debacle at your inst.i.tution."

She looked through him as she said, "you may be sorry, but I'm not." With that, she kicked up her heels, turned, and walked toward her intended destination.

Sebastian was left standing in the middle of the corridor looking like an un-played instrument collecting dust. She refused to indulge his sardonic views.

The creamed skinned fellow from Arco said, "excuse me!" as he suddenly brushed pa.s.s Sebastian. He knocked him to the far side of the wall, and into a brown display table.

"That's quite all right, you ape!" he yelled out, as the man turned the corner in pursuit of his continued detail duties for Sena. Hendrix.

"So... I'm virtually a.s.sured to lose my position as Chancellor if you don't comply with these terms, Silvia. I've worked hard for what I've got. I wouldn't want a little misunderstanding to..." Nathaniel paused, because he noticed the wildfire look in Hendrix's eyes from across the table. He cleared his throat and spoke on uneasy. "I wouldn't want it to wash away all that I've done. You must get where I'm coming from somewhere inside of yourself?"

Sena. Hendrix looked into Nathaniel's yellow eyes, and missed her old friend. She always looked at him with such kindness, because all he ever did was smile and tell lighthearted jokes. Now, his disposition has been altered into something more like his new mentor's. He almost seemed to be imitating Sebastian Wilc.o.x.

"So, after all that's occurred, you think I'm just going to, plainly put, 'let-it-go?'" Her air quotes added a much needed emphasis on their selfish att.i.tudes. Though Nathaniel didn't need to answer, his eyes said for him; of course, I do, Silvia. "Allow me to refresh your memories then, boys!" She wanted to make certain who was in charge here.

She sat up in her chair with a regal air. She was at the head of the table, closes to the door they had just walked through. The large stainless steel conference room table had several seats at it, but only three were taken. Sebastian and Nathaniel sat to Hendrix's right. Both the left and the right sides of the carpeted room had floor to ceiling tinted windows. They ran the long length of the narrowed-width room all the way to the opposite side. At the end of the room, the head of the long rectangular table sat just in front of a window that acted as a wall. It had but a lone painting of the entire compound mounted on the gla.s.s. There were miscellaneous computers and smaller desks that took up s.p.a.ce in the conference room, but the three side wall of windows made the scenery seem larger than life. They could see out into the grounds of the Hyperborean Parthenon through the windows. Adding a lot more dimension for her to exude her stature, within the confines of the mid-size conference s.p.a.ce.

"No one of much importance pa.s.sed away during your raid," she said, rather snarky. "That I am thankful for, but the damage is irrefutable. So many children and parents were poisoned in their seats. Fourteen-Hundred is our estimate, but many opted to be treated outside of Hyperborean for fear of being captured, for reasons unknown. Two-hundred and eighty-four students have been yanked out of cla.s.ses. They didn't even make it past the first day. So many injured as the ma.s.s panic took hold of us all. One of my ministrants may not pull through because of this-" She looked to Sebastian, as the whites of her eyes started to turn red. She didn't like the thought of being teary-eyed in front of them. But the thought of Bernard made her heart instantly fill with sorrow. "This... 'minor debacle,' as you so gently put-"

"All the damage can be paid for, Silvia! You know that, so why this att.i.tude?" Nathan interjected with uncertainty. His navy blue suit moved with him as he twisted about in his chair. These were prepared statements and he wasn't exactly comfortable saying them.

"What about the internal damage. Children are afraid that their living s.p.a.ce is unsafe. Money can't repair that type of damage, Nate!"

"Silvia!" Nathaniel pleaded, but Sebastian put his hand up to his face as the man was about to speak, swiftly interrupting him. He looked embarra.s.sed as he noticed Sena. Hendrix taking note of the scene.

"We all know that this isn't about the children," his cold tone was chilling to them both. "This is about your school's reputation. It's never taken a hit like this under any of its -male Grand Ministrants." A twisted smirk ran across his pale face. "So you want to find another to cast the blame on, because you left the inst.i.tution vulnerable."

"And how, might I ask, did I do this?" Hendrix put forth.

"Of course, you may ask, my dear. They all do speak so much of my generosity," he clapped his hands together giggling awkwardly. "You have a crack in your bedrock of trust, honey! The foundation is crumbling and you don't have enough s.p.a.ckle-cement left to fill the holes. Someone must have let us in, right? Otherwise, how would we bypa.s.s the age-old force field, created by Aurora of the Great Eight herself. So I a.s.sume that means someone amongst you is a rat!"

"Are you blatantly admitting to your wrong doings? You know you can be impeached for that," she said leaning forward pointing a finger at him from across the table.

He threw his hands in the air, "Oh, no! I have admitted no such thing. I am just making a.s.sumptions based on the facts of the situation. Lucky me though, that there are no cameras about this room."

"You're a disgrace!" She turned away in disgust, folding her arms.

"No, my dear," Sebastian said, folding his folding at the edge of the table. "I'm sure if your ex-husband could see you now, he'd look upon you with absolute pity."

"How dare you bring up that man!" she angrily barked.

"He was a dear friend. I think of him often," Sebastian said, looking more relaxed than usual. His hands folded, even more neatly now on the table, and all his attentions focused on Hendrix. "I always wondered why you changed your name back after the divorce. After all, your son and that adopted mess still bear Conrad's name. Perhaps the Gambit family tree wasn't good enough for you anymore, Silvia."

"What are you doing?" Nathaniel jumped into the conversation with a defiant tone. He grabbed a fistful of the lapel to Sebastian's dark suit, looking him square in the eye. -"These personal matters have no place in this office. Please,refrain from speaking on them any further. Both of you!" His eyes shot toward Hendrix, but with a lot more kindness than the disdainful looks he shot at Draconia's Chancellor.

Even though he attempted to take a stand, Sen. Wilc.o.x didn't know the meaning of compromise. He looked Nathaniel in the eye when he spoke. "Take your hand off of my collar, you zero-sum abomination!" His hand quickly detached itself from the ancient looking relic of a man sitting next to him. He wasn't even aware that it was there still. Until Sebastian, of course, so politely reminded him.

Nathaniel let his head hang low. "I'm sorry. I was simply trying to steer the conversation in a more appropriate direction."

Sena. Hendrix looked on at the sandy tan skin man that she used to call friend. His dark hair slumped over his forehead with his plumped body slumping in kind. He hunched over in his chair at the large steel desk, as if he had a stomachache. His yellow eyes didn't have their former-pride. Something had put him deep into Sebastian's debt. The respectful pride that most Hyperborean's possess did not shine through in Nathaniel's demeanor. He seemed trapped and guilty to Hendrix's watchful eyes.

The Arcan guard standing behind Sena. Hendrix cleared his throat loudly as he was subjected to this vile, nonsensical conversation between three of the most powerful people in all the Worlds. They all simultaneously turned to him, as if they thought he had the audacity to speak out.

He was beyond nervous to see those three powerful faces staring up at him. "Excuse me, please. I've got a little cold is all." They quickly released him from the gripping gripe of their tenacity, as he tried to slow his heart rate from the fear they just inspired in him.

"So let us get on with this then," Sebastian said abruptly. "We have some recounting of the story board that may convince you to simply put this away... where it belongs." He motioned to the guard to open the door. When the door opened, there were nothing but hallways to behold. "Lilith, please do join us!" he called out in a surprisingly gleeful tone.

Sena. Hendrix felt a little nervous jolt drift through her bones. She knew a Lilith, but couldn't imagine that she'd be here at Sebastian's will. She was facing the door when her heart stopped. The woman who threw the last of the three Squadron helicopters out of the falling sky was standing in the doorway. Dressed in a pink pencil skirt and black pumps. She had a plain white t-shirt on that exposed her belly ring as well. She looked like an uptown girl with a bit of a trashy side. Her plastic black frame gla.s.ses steered the look in the direction of naughty librarian territory.

"h.e.l.lo, Senora Hendrix, and of course everyone else," she spoke delicately. Her olive tone skin was nearly identical to Corinth's. Sena. Hendrix had been thinking that anyway.

"Excuse me, dear, but why are you here?" Hendrix questioned directly. "You have cla.s.ses to teach, don't you?" Her face visible said; get out, you little tramp. But instead, Lilith took a seat. Much to Sebastian's pleasure.

"She is here to..."

"I didn't ask you. The lady will speak to her boss for herself!" Hendrix's face was so stern that it shut Sebastian right up.

"Yes, Sena. Hendrix, you're right. I didn't tell you about my coming, because I didn't want to compromise the integrity of the meeting." She sat down to Hendrix's left, across the table from the Chancellors, looking like a little girl watching her parents bicker over how to raise her.

Her green eyes were the sign of a La Envidian. Sena. Hendrix looked at her with the same judgmental eye she had always given Julia. She thought that maybe that's why she saw Corinth in her skin tone. Perhaps it was because she saw Julia in her eyes. She had the same brown hair color as Julia too. This made it even more difficult to talk to her without thinking of the girl who stole her son's heart away.

"Well, spit it out then! Why are you here, Lilith?" Sena. Hendrix asked impatiently. Her eyes focused on the pet.i.te woman.

She looked around, as if she were asking for permission to speak. Sebastian lightly nodding his head in affirmation. She was now permitted to answer the question. Sena. Hendrix could barely wait to hear her explanation.

"My account of the events that took place on April 1, 1002 may be different than yours, Grand Ministrant. I call your memory to the helicopters that hovered in the skies above the Pavilion." She placed her hands on the steel table, and a loud clanking sound reverberated throughout the room. She had several metal bangles around her wrist. She started to settle into her story after the echo subsided. "You displayed masterful ability, but used reckless means. You placed many people in danger that would have not been, if you weren't so aggressive and negligent."

Wham. Bam. And thank you very much, Ma'am. Sena. Hendrix slammed her fist on the table in absolute shock of Lilith's a.s.sertions. "How dare you be so careless with your thoughts! They were spraying children with a viral drug. -The furor that erupted within moments of coming in contact with it was balefully destructive." She shot an agile glance, one that lingered, toward Sebastian with bitter rage seeping through her pours. "You think you have an out for this, but I've known you for decades, you coward! Do trust-that I came more than prepared to take you down!"

"Hum, it seems as if we're getting a taste of that legendary temper of yours," he and Lilith giggled. Nathan didn't bother to join in.

"Nate," she said crisply. "Is this what you want?" He had one elbow on the table and his fingernails between his teeth. His nail biting was a nervous habit that made him look weak in front of the strong characters in the room.

"Well, answer her you fool!" Sebastian pressured him to show his allegiance.

"No, it's not what I want, Silvia," he said, with his eyes down. "Nevertheless, you can't just tell the people all the sordid details of a situation this pungent. If you'd just give us your son's whereabouts we can end this now."

"Don't forget the boy," Sebastian added.

Hendrix went on the defensive. "Why would my grandson be of any use to you? He was left in my care, and I'll hear nothing more of it." She knew why, but she didn't know how much Nate knew just yet.

Sebastian nervously gestured to Lilith to keep on. "Oh yes, I almost forgot. The press has been on to me, Sena. Hendrix," Lilith informed. "They want to hear my side of the story. I'm sure the parents will be more than displeased to know that you nearly killed some of their children. And themselves, for that matter. I'm the hero who saved many nearby me. I have their trust now. They will want your job. That's, of course, if I were to ask for it." She folded her hands and forebodingly looked to her boss.

The other two looked at Hendrix as well, like they had her cornered. She'd lose her job if she didn't concede the facts, and most likely even more in the long run.

"And what about those who were put in a coma from that dark vicious material that fell from the sky, like black rain?" She questioned with a troubled tone. "Will they just forget what occurred?"

"Shock!" he said fanatically.

"What?" she asked with a fed up tone.

"It was shock. The helicopters scared the people. There was no substance falling from the sky. Their imaginations got away from them, because of the surprise and ... Shock!" He grinned slyly. "It's not the most convincing story for those who were there, I know, but it does put doubt in a lot of minds. You'll be the one branded as the failure. You harbored your criminal son and nearly killed dozens of students. Possibly more!" The thought of it seemed to excite him, as his voice sparked with antic.i.p.ation."It all depends on how we chose to spin the story. The media will comply, as always. It's all up to you, Silvia. We are Chancellors. We run the Worlds, not schoolteachers. No matter how powerful that teaching ministrant may be... you don't make the law. We do!" He pointed to himself and a nervous Nate sitting beside him. "You have a choice to make. Let it go, or be arrested by your self-righteous inability to see the larger picture."

Hendrix looked around the room, collecting her thoughts. She didn't like where this was going. But she knew it was time to put an end to the charade.

"You're not playing as fairly as I would have hoped, Nathaniel," her chipper countenance confused them all, except Baron. The Arcan man standing behind Sena. Hendrix had only known her a few hours. Yet, he knew she was over prepared for this little dance. She wasn't cornered, but they were.

"I'm just going on word of my advisors, Silvia. Nothing more," the Hyperborean Chancellor said while staring down at the table.

"Well, then you're a horrible leader if all you do is follow the will of others," her steely glare and tone hit him from across the table. He could feel her gaze beaming down on him. He was embarra.s.sed beyond his wildest imagining. "I won't forget this, Nate. You'll survive, because I have no need to tell the public anymore than it already knows. Many people were there. They can make what they will of it without me directing their thoughts for them." She looked to Sebastian with a new shine in her bold blue eyes. "But you, old friend. You won't make it to the end of the year with the clothes on your back once I'm finished with you."

"Ha-ha!" he laughed loudly with nerves of steel. "That's a lot of tall-talk for a woman who can't even hold down a job. Keep it up, Silvia, and I'll make d.a.m.n sure you're in the poor house by the end of the week!" His glee quickly turned to craze. He nearly foamed at the mouth as he inched closer, hands spread across the table.