“That ugly thing with your lips.”
Huber looked offended. “Humph.” He crossed his arms over his soft tummy and glared.
“Huber, try and stay focused. What are his traits?”
“He’s sure he knows everything and should be in charge. His spirit was sent to Summerland on Saturnia because the stories his grandmother had told him were the closest thing he had to religion and an idea of hereafter.
“His behavior has been disruptive to the point of being disturbing. We even tried an immersion treatment in the River of Rebirth.”
“Yeah?”
“What happened?”
“Nothing. He’s one-of-a-kind stubborn.”
Heralda looked at Culain. “Thinks he knows everything and should be in charge?”
“Got to be Ragnal’s,” said Culain without even looking up from what he was doing.
“No doubt,” added Ming.
Heralda turned to Huber. “So go get Ragnal and tell him to fix the problem.”
Huber stomped his biker boot clad foot and his belly jiggled noticeably. “Don’t order me around like I’m an Elemental. I’m a peer!”
“Of course you are. I would go myself, but I’m really in the middle of something. Would you mind? Please?” Heralda used her most persuasive tone. “I’ll look at your dragon babies later.”
“You will? All right. I’ll go this time.”
“Thank you.”
Huber waited outside Ragnal’s harem, if not patiently. He paced, fumed, and muttered something about Viagra. He stopped in front of one of the massive androgynous Elementals guarding the door.
“How much longer?”
The guard’s face never changed expression. He slid a dispassionate almond-shaped gaze Huber’s way but said nothing.
“Fine!” Huber said. “Just give him this message.”
Huber turned his back to the door and wrote a cursive message in the air with his index finger. “Urgent Council biz. GG wants to see U. Tired of waiting. Call me. – HQ”
The black letters hung in the air at eye level. Huber looked them over and decided that cobalt blue would be better. He waved his hand and stepped back to better see the result. Satisfied with the new look of his airborne graphic, he made a face at the guards and vanished.
Huber had made sure that Ragnal couldn’t help but see the message when he emerged from his fuck fest. But Ragnal chose to interpret the word “urgent” as “when you get around to it”. After all, according to his personal version of hierarchy, he saw the other Council members as working for him.
The others had let him get away with the self-delusion for centuries, but he was on the verge of pushing it one too many times.
“He what?” Heralda asked.
“His guards wouldn’t let me in. I left a message, but he hasn’t returned my call,” Huber said.
“Did he know it was Council business?”
Huber nodded. “Used the word urgent and told him you said.”
The room rumbled underneath their feet. Uh oh.
Heralda was more than a little upset that Ragnal had ignored Huber’s message, which was virtually the same thing as a summons. She stormed out of the Council room and materialized in Ragnal’s private foyer, but unlike Huber, she didn’t bother with polite protocol which entailed asking the guards for entrance. As far as she was concerned, Ragnal had used up his chances to play by guidelines and be social. Good manners don’t hold integrity for long without being a two way exchange.