“The Dinner Guest”

“Forgive my interruption but who dies first?” I thunked my biggest gun on a platter next to the mostly-empty gravy boat. Around the dinner table, the heads of the Five Factions considered their options. My bullets were faster than their hoodoo and I carried more than one gun. They relaxed. Smart guy–err, beings.

“You have us, Mister Bright”, said Uncle Happy, voice slightly slurred by the champagne I spiked an hour ago. “What do you wish?”

“Time to prove I didn’t kill Prescott.”

“Done”. That was The Jarl. “One week.”

I saluted them. “Thanks and blessings.” Smiled. Left. Breathed again.

——

Today’s offering isn’t so much a story as it is a scene, or maybe a beginning of a larger story. I have a notebook in which I have a few of these little scenes in search of a bigger story.  If not for Darleen’s challenge, this would probably have been one of them. I’m glad I could release it into the wild. Perhaps it’ll find its story more easily not all locked away in my notebook.

Darleen presents an unsolved mystery.

Smitty takes on a modern-day political menace.

BigGator5 peeks in on a couple members of the Celestial choir.

Paula got in with a better late than never story of diplomatic opportunity.