An Untitled Novel

Gnats and mosquitoes hovered millimeters off of Basil’s face, the swarm shifting as he ducked below some foliage. A branch tugged at the rifle slung across his shoulder, and as he turned back to free it, he saw Matilda - Queen of the Redcaps - swatting at her head; no PDA energized electrons to force the bugs away. “You know, the hat would really be doing wonders to keep the bugs off ‘ya.” She shook her head. “And I told you, I’m not wearing anything that you once wore, bugs be damned.” Basil shrugged.

“Well, we made it. The bugs should be a bit better in the clearing.” Basil unfolded the camp chair beneath his arm, taking the magazine from his rifle before setting it on the ruin of a stone foundation jutting out of the ground - the only still standing part of a long abandoned house. “I still don’t know why we had to go this far out” the Redcap Queen asked, seemingly short of breath. “General Tobias wouldn’t be too pleased if we started shooting in the middle of town. Besides, it’s a good view from here, and a little exercise is good for the soul.” The Redcap Queen seemed not entirely accepting of Basil’s answer, but didn’t continue on the subject, so Basil pulled a paper target out of his backpack, pinning it to a dirt mound with a small twig.

“Here, put these on.” Basil handed her a pair of goggles in exchange for the rifle in her hand, continuing to speak as he retrieved a pair of metal canisters from his backpack. “Alright, some quick ground rules. There’s a lot of different rules and techniques you’ll want to learn, but the two most important things are that you ALWAYS assume a gun is loaded until you have personally verified otherwise, and that you NEVER point a loaded gun at something or somebody you don’t want to shoot.”

The Redcap Queen nodded and Basil took a few steps forward, motioning for her to do the same. “Alright, hold it like this, making sure the stock is pressed firmly against your shoulder. Keep your finger outside the trigger guard like this until you’re ready to fire. I assume you know how the sights work?”

“Yes.” Basil nodded, handing her back her rifle. “Alright, here you go. Before you raise it, make sure to look around and see nothing’s down range that you don’t want to shoot. Now, raise the rifle. Excellent, although you’ll want to spread your feet out a little further.”

“Huh?” the Redcap Queen asked, turning her head but keeping the rifle safely pointed downrange. “It helps you keep your balance. The more spread out you are, the less recoil will affect you. Just like that, perfect. You’re all set to fire.” Basil heard a dull thud as a projectile hit the dirt near the paper target. “How dainty do you think I am?” the Redcap Queen asked, a look of both amusement and annoyance on her face.

Basil paused for a moment, unsure of what she meant, until realization set in. “Oh, this one’s just a pellet gun. It’s sort of a toy, but you need to practice your posture now so it’s a habit when you shoot something bigger.” The Redcap Queen looked unsure, but didn’t reply, so Basil continued. “Don’t worry, I brought plenty of real bullets too. Let’s just practice with this one for a bit more before we use the other one. Trust me, the first time ACE stuck a machine gun in my hands I nearly lost control of it.”

The Redcap Queen nodded, turning back to the paper target as Basil reclined in the folding chair, pulling out his flask.

Basil jerked his head back as the Redcap Queen held a paper target in front of his face. The target was covered in holes, some close to the center. She had a big smile on her face, clearly proud of her accomplishment. He felt some surprise; this was the same helpless girl he pulled out of a burning craft some years ago, who then ordered his execution in the chaos.

She was also the same autocratic ruler who’d seemingly survived her trial by fire, commanding armies and directing high stakes diplomacy, both of which decided the fates of millions. And yet, right now, she stood in front of him with an almost childlike joy in her accomplishment, showing him as if to gain his approval. The two mental pictures of one of Domum’s most powerful leaders clashed in his head, and he couldn’t make heads or tails of which one was correct.

Basil returned a delayed smile, putting down his empty flask and lit cigarette. “Alright, big gun time?” The Redcap Queen nodded. “I was hoping you’d say that.” As Basil got up, however, she changed the topic. “You know, I always thought you hated me.” She paused for a moment, before continuing. “Well, perhaps hate is too strong a word. But I always thought you at least didn’t like me much. When I asked you to teach me how to shoot, was that a favor to me, or a diplomatic favor from the office of Basil to the Redcap crown?”

“Hmm?” Basil asked, surprised by the question. Although the Redcap Queen didn’t seem angry or upset - simply curious, and almost indifferent to the pending answer. “You don’t have to lie to me. You’ve saved my life, I believe that grants you the privilege of speaking to me like we’re two normal people in the woods. Though, not that you’ve ever seemed to care about such decorum regardless.”

Basil chuckled. “Well, yeah, I’ve probably made it a little obvious I don’t have too much respect for the crown as an authority. But it’s nothing personal.” To his surprise, she seemed to find the conversation amusing. “Is there any authority you actually respect? I always assumed you thought you were above Domum authority and that you answered to Earth authorities. Then I heard you were fighting with Earth authorities, and thought maybe you only respected some long dead ideals of some Elthrice office of authority or something. But you’ve fought them too, and don’t seem to respect any of their authorities or factions either. So are there any authorities or governments you actually respect?”

Basil laughed, then contemplated the question. “No, I guess not really. Every authority I’ve run into has, at one point, tried killing me. Not only that, but they’ve failed, which isn’t really inspiring my confidence in authorities.” She responded with a smile and sarcasm. “Well, with manners like yours, I can’t possibly ascertain why any powers would be angry with you.” Basil chuckled, and when no sound could be heard but rustling leaves and distant waves from the shore, he interjected. “Well, I guess some governments have grown on me a bit. A few armies being around to deal with the Elthrice was rather handy, and I’ve seen how bad things can get without somebody enforcing the peace. Just be good to your people, please?”

“Oh, I try, but being ‘good’ is a nebulous concept. And a difficult balance to strike when you’re trying to weigh the best of many choices. You may soon learn that as you organize a small force and assist in governing a county, even if the latter is little more than ceremonial.”

Basil nodded, loading a single round into a magazine before handing over the magazine, his rifle, and a pair of earplugs.