Rahab

Part One: The First Encounter

"Some outlaws live at the side of a lake..."

That must be the tenth time he's playing that, she thought. She didn't understand the song, though she could hear the words clearly in the quiet of early morning. Strangely quiet. Even the crickets were silent, as though they were waiting with bated breath for her to make her move. The sprawling stucco house was just below her, its lights on in nearly every window, though the party had ended hours ago. She had watched the guests leave, the typical Hollywood crowd, faces lit with fashionably languid smiles, as they drove off in their gleaming cars.

"The minister's daughter's in love with a snake..."

She sat back on her haunches, curling her long, iguanid tail around her bare feet, and shuddered, from nervousness and the chill of the night. She'd been coming to this house for months, but somehow kept missing its elusive owner. Now, finally, he was there, but for how long? She had to move soon, or he might leave again.

"That lives in a well by the side of the road..."

What WAS that group, an old one, obviously. Named after some part of a house. The Floors? No, that's not it, but it was close. The singer sounded familiar. A lot of things seemed familiar, but her memory was still foggy. It had been a long journey. From one coast the to the other. I'm gonna drive myself nuts with this... better think of something else. Eventually she straightened up and stretched, then cautiously made her way to the wall of the rear garden, no longer heeding the next tangle of lyrics drifting from the partially opened patio doors. As she leaped over the wall, the scent of water and green plants enveloped her, respite from the sage and dust smells of the desert. She heard a liquid sound, and discovered a small pond, black in the half light, the pale backs of goldfish suspended motionless in its depths. A waterfall was at one end, spilling over a boulder that overhung the water.

"I am the Lizard King..."

She was very thirsty, and after looking cautiously around, drank deeply.

"I can do anything."

As she wiped her mouth on the back of her hand, she realised the music had crashed to a stop. She stared into the pond, as the water became smooth again, except from the ripples where the water fell from the cleft in the boulder. She could see it in the reflection, black against the lightening sky. She started to look away, then something caught her eye. The boulder seemed to shift, and the top part separate itself she leaped back, thinking it would fall on her, and stared at it, as it poised, yet did not fall. She squinted at it, puzzled. No telling how long it had been there. She didn't notice it before.

"What's doing," it said quietly.

Startled, she stumbled backward, and nearly fell in among the fish, but managed to keep her balance, then tensed to bolt back over the wall.

"No need to run, I won't bite," the figure said as it dropped onto the flagstones beside her. "Uhm, not unless you want me to." It sniggered. As it approached her, she recognised the broad shoulders, the thick limbs, big, though no taller than she. The face was very much like hers: a reptilian shade of green, wide jaw, bright yellow eyes. He was wearing a short leather coat and a bandana was tied tightly to his head, pirate-skullcap style.

"It's... YOU," she managed to whisper.

"It's ME," he said, cheerfully. "Who are YOU?" He stepped back and squinted at her in a dramatic pose, as though she were a statue to be appraised. "Wait! Don't tell me, you're ah... Miss Venezuela, right?"

"N-no," she stammered, as he laughed gently at his own joke.

"Hey!" he said suddenly, making her jump. "Y'know, you didn't have to drink outa the POND..."

"Sorry."

He waved her apology aside. "Forget it. So, where're you from?"

"The... desert."

"The desert? Out there?" He pointed at the distant hills.

She shrugged. "It's all I can remember."

"Oh." He was silent a moment. He looked thoughtfully at the lightening sky, then looked back at her. "Want to come in, Miss Venezuela? "

She hesitated. "Are there any... people here? I don't want to-"

"Nahh. Nobody here, they all went home to bed." He laughed raucously and slapped his thigh, startling her again. He flashed a grin at her. "Man, you're as twitchy as a wild hoss. Kaa-mon, nobody's gonna bother you around here, you're among friends. Let's go!"

She cautiously followed him through the sliding glass doors in the left wing of the house, and found herself in a large, semicircular room, the round side all windows, the glow of the rising sun diffused by drawn shades. Lush green plants grew in every spare place in the room, making her feel more at ease.

"Make yourself at home, uh? Mi casa es su casa,'n all that... got a jacuzzi over there, and whatever- Oh! You hungry, want some'm t' eat?" He was talking fast, addressing the hemline of her ancient, oversized t-shirt, which hung to her mid-thigh. "Man, you might wanta change outa that, huh? I'll getcha something..." He was gone before she could answer.

She stood around a while, but he didn't come back. Eventually got her nerve up and wandered around the rooms. She peeked into the gleaming, white tiled bathroom, and saw a large recessed tub, big enough for six people, full of steaming, turquoise water. She looked back at the doorway to the bedroom, and then stepped into the tub. It was very hot, much to her liking. She sank into the water, sighing as the heat warmed her bones. She dozed a little, then woke up at the sudden rush and bubble of water bombarding her under the surface. She looked around, startled, and saw her host standing in the doorway, one hand on a panel in the tiled wall.

"You turn it on here." he said, pointing to the panel, half hidden by a palmetto leaf. He threw the bathrobe he brought onto a chair next to the tub, and delicately picked up her discarded shirt. He held it out at arms length, holding a small corner of it between finger and thumb. "Want me to um, get rid of this for ya? I think it's kinda seen better days..."

She nodded mutely, as she crouched deeper into tub.

"I'll uh, I'll meet you in the other room. Is there anything in particular you like to munch on? Plenty of stuff left from the-"

"Fruit!" she said so suddenly, he laughed.

"Jeezum, here I am talking my head off, and you're starving to death... be riiight back..." his voice trailed off as he disappeared out the doorway.

Later, when she emerged from the bath, bathrobe wrapped tightly around her, she went back into the other room, and found him lounging by a low table, which laden with a huge tray of fruit. He was picking at a bunch of green grapes, popping them into the air and catching them in his mouth. He grinned broadly when he saw her. "Alright! Betcha feel a ton lighter, huh? Have a seat, dig in!"

She did so, and picked up a plump mango. She smelled it, and took a bite. Delicious... she quickly ate it, and grabbed another.

She was ravenous.

He leaned his elbows on the table, watching her make short work of the tray of fruit. "So...you got a name, sweetheart?"

She looked up, startled. "Rrrffbahf." She struggled to swallow what she was chewing.

He raised an eyebrow, mouth open in a half smile. "Say what?"

She nearly choked in her haste to clear her throat. "Rahab," she finally said.

"Rahab... Rahab? What're you, an ay-rab?"

She frowned. "Do I look like an ay-rab to YOU?"

He barked in laughter, making her jump, only not as much as before. She was getting used to his sudden bouts of enthusiasm. He sniggered to a stop, and sighed happily. "You're a laugh a minute, Miz Rahab... maybe you didn't know that, uh?"

She shook her head.

"Aaanyway...I'm Michael Angelo..." he said slowly, pointing at his chest, as though she might not understand. When she didn't respond, he grinned wider. "Everybody calls me Mikey, though. You know... Mikey?"

"Mikey." she echoed. "Okay."

"Okay!" he said brightly. He gave her a thoughtful look. "Hmm," he said, after a moment. "Need a towel or something?"

She looked down, and noticed with horror that her robe was stained with juice from the fruits she had been stuffing herself with. "Oh...uh, sure," she said feeling at a loss. She had been sitting there, making a pig of herself in front of him. "I - I'm not usually like this..." she said faintly as he handed her a towel. She dabbed at her front.

"Need any help?" he asked, eyes wide. She could see a network of pale scars on his knuckles as he scratched his chin.

She held the towel against the base of her throat. "Ah... no thank you."

He sat back. "Hey, I was just kidding! Listen, if you wanta crash here, it's okay with me. I'm beat, been up for two days, y' know? Ay, the demands these people make on me... know what I'm sayin'? But y'know how it is... life's a BEACH, and then comes WINTER." He leaped up and stretched so hard, she could hear his carapace creak. He relaxed again, and let out his breath noisily. He repeated the last phrase half to himself as he meandered into the bedroom and collapsed on the broad bed. She could see the horned soles of his feet hanging over the edge. He sighed and lay still.

After a few minutes she got up and peered in at him. He was face down across the bed, his arms out like an airplane. She giggled as she wondered how he could breathe, lying on his face like that. He didn't move, and when his breathing became slow and heavy, she realised he was really asleep. She yawned hugely as she wandered around the house, and in passing, noticed the CD cover lying on the stereo cabinet.
The Doors.

She laughed aloud in relief.

Next section... Rahab 2
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