An Untitled Novel

Basil, now the center of attention for the entire room, decided to exit but was stopped by Spiro. “What was that?” he asked in an accusatory tone. Basil, turning around, replied nonchalantly “Don’t really know.” He went to continue walking, but Spiro stuck out his arm to block the exit, seeming to expect a more detailed answer. Basil paused to go over his thoughts, and during the pause Spiro continued, this time in a seemingly concerned tone. “You’re going to get yourself in trouble, I don’t know what you were thinking, but threatening an advisor like that is a quick way to get yourself killed.” Basil replied “It’s a radio,” prompting a confused “What?” from Spiro. “This, it’s a radio” Basil continued, “And the kid said his father wanted to meet with me, apparently he didn’t know who I was when I introduced myself. I guess the grumpy guy didn’t get the memo.” Spiro simply stared at Basil for a moment, seemingly trying to make sense of everything. “Just don’t do that” Spiro replied. “None of that, I don’t care what was misunderstood, you’re going to get yourself into trouble.”

Basil and Spiro stood in silence for a moment, and as Basil looked around it seemed the crowd had lost interest. Basil finally broke the silence. “The asshole pulled a knife on me after the kid approached and asked me to meet with them.” Basil spoke with a considerable amount of annoyance and inebriation before he followed up his previous statement with “If you ask me, pointing a radio at him was me being nice, I could have been pointing a gun at him instead.” After a moment, Spiro, in a tone between concern and one that would be used talking to a child, replied. “Look, you can’t do things like that to any of the greater powers here. Especially not to the Lizard King or his people, who aren’t the most level-headed.” The two both stood in silence again, but again Spiro began to speak. “Honestly, I’ve grown a little fond of you, you’re not full of shit like most of the diplomatic types, and I would still like to figure out what you are exactly, so don’t get yourself killed by insulting the Tyrant’s advisor.” Basil finally spoke. “Um, thanks” was all he could think to say at first, but quickly added “I’m going to go get some fresh air and collect my thoughts.”

After a long and quiet walk Basil made his way to his truck, popped the bed cover off, and sat down to stare at the emptying courtyard. With his body not yet adjusted to the idea of this hour being night, and with the regrets of the prior conversations, against all better judgment he broke the seal on a bottle of Grey Goose to pour himself a glass. Some time went by, and as he went about taking the plastic wrap of the package of cigarettes he found in the parka all that time ago he heard footsteps approaching his solitary camp. “May I join you?” asked the tall man Basil now knew to be Nerva, the King of the Lizard People. “Sure” Basil responded, the liquor and the mental fatigue obvious in his voice. The Lizard king climbed up onto the back of Basil’s truck to sit behind him, and for a moment stared out into the now nearly empty courtyard with a solemn look on his face. Basil noticed the man seemed even larger up close and seemed to have a considerable amount of strength - exceedingly so for others here relative to his age and station. His clothes, while similarly colorful and ornate like the other nations’ people, seemed less refined with leather and slightly crudely stitched and dyed fabrics. On his side he carried a giant sword of some form, looking both out of place considering the rest of the diplomatic and nobility types did not do so, and also out of place given the gun bearing Redcap guards that dotted the walls and buildings nearby.

“Give us a moment” said the Lizard king to his son, the ‘Wizard,’ and the soldiers that seemed to make up his entourage. “I would not advise that your grace, this one is problematic” replied the ‘Wizard’ in response to the Lizard king’s request. A short glance from the Lizard King, however, and the group was walking a short distance away; leaving the two wildly different individuals to converse alone. Finally, after a very long set of silence, the Lizard King spoke. “May I see your radio?” Basil, not expecting that, pulled his phone out of his pocket and handed it to him. “Come on, it was at least a little funny” Basil commented while the man seemed busy inspecting it. “If it was anybody else” the Lizard king responded, “This would have ended very badly for you.” He then paused, as if he was pondering how to word what he said next, before continuing. “But I understand we must have very different lives and customs so I’m willing to forgive such transgressions.” They both sat in silence for a moment longer, before the Lizard King broke the silence once again. “Well, my son did find it amusing. He also spoke highly of you, and he is a good judge of character, which I place more weight on than your lack of etiquette.”

The man sitting next to Basil went silent again. Finally thinking of something to say, Basil was the first to break this silence. “Your son seems like a good kid. He was very nice and seemed pretty interested in learning things. Not-” Basil suddenly paused, realizing his fatigued and intoxicated brain was yet again about to get him into trouble. The man next to him, however, smiled for the first time since the meeting started. “Not like you would expect my son to be?” the Lizard king asked. “My father was a cruel man, feared by his people and hated by others. I have been a cruel and broken man, but when his mother died I have raised him to not carry what my family line has left me.” He paused for a moment, and the solemn look returned to his face. “I have prepared him for a peaceful reign, but in the final hour darkness has prevailed and the curse of my lineage may be a shield he will find himself without.”

“What are you talking about?” Basil asked, not following the meaning behind what was said. “Peace negotiations have failed, the Redcaps have demanded much that I am unwilling to give” said the solemn man. “That is why I am here, if you can provide me with weapons I can return to the table with the scales in my favor, or confront the Bloody One on the battlefield and force an end to this before my time is over. In exchange I will grant you anything within my dominion.” Basil, now disappointed to hear that there would be no peace, and more disappointed in the request, replied exhaustively. “I won’t give weapons to anybody. This is not my war, and there will not be blood on my hands.” The Lizard King, seeming disheartened, replied quickly. “There will be much more blood on your hands if you do not intervene, much more even than if I fight a short war with overwhelming strength. My people have informed me that you wish for peace, how would you end a bloody stalemate without transient bloodshed?” Basil shook his head. “I don’t know” was all he could muster in reply.

“You said you would be willing to provide other knowledge and supplies, what would those be?” the Lizard King asked, pivoting the subject. “Medications maybe, imagine a world where an infection could be solved easily and many diseases were eradicated. We could try farming techniques, imagine getting four times as much food from the same amount of land. Even things like tools, imagine a world where a hammer was much stronger and more durable, and didn’t rust.” The Lizard king seemed to ponder Basil’s words, considering them attentively. “Perhaps those words themselves may bring peace. I will request to resume negotiations tomorrow, and I wish for you to join me in them.” The Lizard King paused momentarily as if to collect his thoughts, but resumed speaking before Basil responded. “Tell those words to the Redcap King himself. If convinced that you can help us bring such a world into being, he may be willing to put aside his bloodshed for a chance at such a change.” The Lizard king fell silent, looking intently at Basil expecting a response, which Basil provided. “Of course.”

“Good” replied the Lizard King. “A drink to another shot at peace, would you like some?” Basil asked, pouring himself yet another ill-advised serving from his bottle. “What is it?” the Lizard King asked. “Just alcohol, though it’s a bit of an acquired taste if you’re used to the wine we were drinking earlier.” The Lizard King replied “Very well” while holding out his hand to accept a serving. Basil poured some into a second plastic cup, handing it to the Lizard king who inspected the very alien container before drinking some. After downing most of the vodka in one gulp, he made a face as if he didn’t know what to make of the nearly flavorless liquor, before finishing it off and handing the plastic cup back to Basil. “Well, I expect we will speak again very soon” the Lizard King stated, before standing back up and walking to his son, the ‘Wizard,’ and his soldiers guarding them.