12-21-2020, 11:19 PM
The Kings came into view ten minutes later and the group following on foot carried enough baggage to fill the stable to the gills.
Ninurta made a mental note to check the bundles later for any goods they'll need to keep himself, Boy In A Dress and the annoying
Tibbs going. There was no indication that they would be getting back to the Sprint any time soon and it was prudent to look after
the 'now' and not dwell too much on the future.
"Good evening Sir... does the boy-King reside yonder?" the white-bearded man riding the steam-blowing camel asked and the tone
implied an answer was common.
Ninurta steeled himself from drawing the gun and taking the old guy's crown off with a bullet and called "yep... the stable is waiting
your mightiness". He didn't like the taste of those last words.
The thin-faced Royal in the fur coat on the left of 'white-beard' bowed slightly from his mount and said "we thank you Angel and
now we go to give tributes" Ninurta nodded and scanned the slipping and sliding servants with their bulky burdens.
The other King said nothing, but as he passed the two men standing in the cold, he leaned over and offered a handful of gold coins,
Ninurta ignored the money, but Joseph took them and thanked the crowned man with the jewelled sceptre.
As the final part of the entourage passed by, Ninurta spotted the long swords hanging from the well-muscled guards' belts.
With one deft movement, the Gunman slid one from the guard's scabbard in one fluid motion. The guard whirled to attempt to
reclaim his weapon, but Ninurta slipped the blade under the chin of the guard and any ideas of retrieval left the guard's mind.
"Let him be soldier!..." the bearded King called from the front of the group, "...he is the Emissary Of The Lord and will smite thee
without thought" The guard's eyes widened and wickedly-smiling Ninurta said softly "You'd better listen to yer' boss there fella...
or bad things could happen unto you"
The frightened guard hurried to catch up with group and left Joseph and his Angel alone at the roadside. The cold was enough
to make Joseph shiver, but Ninurta wondered if the Carpenter was shivering out of fear. "Come on Joe, we've others to meet..."
he said amiably and clapped the shaking man on the shoulder. "... I've got wings to earn before this night's through!"
The two trudged on.
...........................................
The terrified Boy In A Dress delivered the child without incident and with Tibbs assisting until the little man passed out at the end.
Mary now laid on the blankets that the Man-Girl had acquired from the Inn and due to the baby's future exploits, he forgave the
men who wolf-whistled as he'd left the establishment.
The baby now slept in his mother's arms and as Boy In A Dress stood up to bring some more kindling for the fire, Mary reached up
and took the eyeless creature's long finger nailed-hand. "You've been kind beyond kindness good Sir, for whatever reasons the Lord
as made you this way, I am sure you will be rewarded in Heaven"
Mary's voice was soft and easy on BIAD's assumed-ears and the being that would one day be cursed as the Devil himself, nodded and
ignored the sudden lump in his throat.
Tibbs came out of his faint a few minutes later and apologised for his weakness, the ever-forgiving hermaphrodite merely patted the
little man on the head, smiled and went about his chores. Mary sat up and watched the two men tidying the stable ready for the visitors
and a serene feeling fell over her... it seemed things were going to be okay.
BIAD heard the crunching of snow first and went to the stable door to greet the strangers. The sight of camels and glinting crowns told
the hermaphrodite that the Kings were the first of the trio of visitors. "Is it my husband?" Mary asked and it was Tibbs who answered.
"My Lady, your husband is helping our friend to find the people that were told of in the Scriptures..." Tibbs announced "... there are
certain things that must come to pass"
Mary looked down at the swaddled boy in her arms and whispered "I fear for my husband's safety, there are many who seek to thwart
my child's growth".
Boy In A Dress looked over from the doorway and offered "He's with Ninurta, I doubt any harm will befall him in his company"
Tibbs patted the donkey's nose as he passed the holding pen and muttered to himself "yes, but I'll wager Ninurta will find ways of
harming others... it's his gift".
The last words were almost spat out.
The Magi stepped up to the stable door and in unison dropped to their knees in prayer, Boy In A Dress absently eyed the silk in their
coats and wondered if one of them would barter... he'd ask later.
"I am Melichior and I seek audience with the holy child" said the white-bearded man in the golden robes, his face showed authority and
demanded respect. Even with light not being the best, the residents of the stable could all see that he display of humbleness sat foreign
on him.
"I am Jaspar, King of all south of this land, I offer all to the Son Of God" -this from the thin-faced gent with the kind eyes, in his arms
he held the white-fur coat and showed it was offered to the sitting Mary. The third man held an ornate wooden chest and though the
lid partly was down Tibbs and BIAD both, could see the pile of jewels heaped inside.
"I am Balthassar and give homage to the Light Of The World" he stuttered and the crowned man seemed to be weeping as he spoke.
Tibbs stepped forward and asked the three Kings to stand up, waving away assistance from their servants, the aged men got to their
feet and followed the little man inside. Boy In A Dress stood meekly to one side and all three Royals gawped with mouths open at the
sight of the voluptuous being in the tight red dress and high heels, yet it was Melichior who winked at -what he believed was someone
who would make a fine handmaiden.
"My... you're a fine woman, are you the midwife?" he asked and the blushing raven-haired vassal with the long fringe stood to attention
and nodded. The hermaphrodite had never been in the company of royalty before and he had always wanted to try on one of those tiaras.
Tibbs showed his eyeless associate a look of warning as he hurried the three Kings on towards where Mary and the baby were laid.
Without another word and without any indication that their Regality was being slighted, the old men sat down on the straw-scattered
floor near the nativity scene.
As everything settled down and the Kings sat in awe of the snoozing baby, Boy In A Dress went back to the stable doorway and hummed
'Running On Empty' by Jackson Browne as he peered out into the cold night. Ignoring the group of tent-pitching servants and guards,
BIAD looked beyond and wondered how his friend was faring.
Tibbs accompanied the Man-Girl at the entrance and guessed at the thoughts trapped inside that strange head of creature who shunned
underwear.
The Vithian knew of BIAD's destiny and had been unsuccessful in convincing him that a day would come when the affable hermaphrodite's
current demeanour would alter like metal-filings swiped with a magnet. An entire civilisation would turn to Boy In A Dress for leadership
and the power would sully his present disposition.
Boy In A Dress had denied such a possibility, but the look Ninurta had given the confused Man-Girl told him that such shadows lay waiting
in the tall grass of his future.
"Don't worry yourself Mr. Devil, our gun-happy friend will find the wise men... our only concern is whether it'll be down the sights of a
gun barrel" BIAD pursed his lips in disapproval.
...........................................
The couple comprised of a weary newly-titled father and man who had lost everything and cared little for anything, trudged along,
searching for the next group of travellers who would need to be guided in. The two men each lost in his own thoughts.
For his part, Ninurta was preoccupied with the odd realization that he wasn't as cold as he thought he ought to be, given the circumstances.
A soldiers life was often harsh, having to deal with whatever conditions that the weather saw fit to throw at him, learning how to sleep,
eat, and act in mud, rain, cold, or oppressive heat.
Whatever was there, that was a soldier's lot to deal with, and one learned to adjust. Still, the GunMan had never been overly fond of the
cold, and had always been susceptible to it's constant gnawing. Strangely, the cold that ought to be gnawing at him and soaking in, seemed
to be held at bay.
He'd learned long ago that one could imagine a spark of heat, internal to oneself, radiating outward to mitigate some of the cold,
just a bit of mind over matter, but this was somehow different. It seemed more external, as if the cold weren't really there at all
-which Ninurta could plainly see just by looking around WAS there.
Joseph broke the silence, and Ninurta's thoughts. "The Little Man -Tibbs, he said that you ARE an angel, yet you've denied that."
it was more of a question than a statement. "Can't take too much of what Tibbs says as Gospel, Joe." was his companion's reply.
"As what?" Joseph asked, checking his numbed-feet were still there. "Never mind. All I'm saying is that just because some little guy
that looks like one of Santa's elves tries to give me a promotion doesn't necessarily make it so."
"One of who's-whats?" Joseph asked, a confused look on his face. Ninurta sighed. "Never mind again. Just a local legend from my
home country..." he responded. "...I just am who I am."
Joseph's eyes widened, fear causing the whites to show.
"You are 'I Am'?" and he started to drop to his knees, right there in the snow, as Ninurta realized his mistake.
"NO! Get up Joe, you'll freeze to death wallering around in that snow! That's not what I meant at all..." the Gunman snapped.
As he picked the scared man back up and dusted the snow from him, Ninurta continued. "I'm just me. A man, just like you or any
one of those fellas that just left us, bound for the stable. Just me." he finished.
Joseph eyed him, not entirely convinced. "The foreign king - he told his man that you were 'a Emissary of the Lord'. That spells 'angel'
around here. Pretty much just as Tibbs had said -yet he couldn't have misheard Tibbs. And the way you made FOUR of Herod's men
just vanish... No mere man could do that against four trained soldiers... and the cold."
It seemed the recent panic of a supernatural Guardian of God had loosened the Carpenter's tongue and so he continued with his hurried
monologue. "You're not at all dressed for it, yet I've not seen so much as a single shiver from you. No, sir, there's something about your
claim that just don't add up against what I see" he finished.
Ninurta's jaw clenched. "Let's reach an understanding, Joe. I'm not a 'sir' to anyone. I work fer a living. Moreover, I'm a nobody.
Nobody at all - just a pretty highly-trained and somewhat experienced nobody. That's all I a... all I claim to be. Nothing more."
The pair trudged on a bit further in silence, Joseph still not convinced by Ninurta's words in the face of evidence to the contrary.
At length, Joseph spoke up again. "All you claim to be. I understand how your kind tends to try moving around unnoticed.
Your secret is safe with me, then."
The rarely-amused Gunman released a long, exasperated sigh, stopped, hung his head, and shook it vigorously. When he raised his
head again, Ninurta noticed in the distance, yet another group of travellers which gained his immediate attention.
Folks won't be out and about on a night like this without cause. That must be the next bunch, he mused.
"Over there, Joseph. Looks like we've got more visitors. Let's go round 'em up - but this time YOU get to roll out the welcome mat.
I'm just along for the ride." Joseph stared at him, puzzled. "Roll out the what? You sure seem to have trouble with plain Hebrew,
for a celestial emissary."
Ninurta resisted the urge to slap some sense into Joseph, and merely remarked "I ain't from around here."
He was going to have to have a little word with Tibbs over this.
"I thought not." was all Joseph said. The odd couple headed towards the next group of visitors, Ninurta shaking his head in frustration.
...........................................
(To Be Continued)
Ninurta made a mental note to check the bundles later for any goods they'll need to keep himself, Boy In A Dress and the annoying
Tibbs going. There was no indication that they would be getting back to the Sprint any time soon and it was prudent to look after
the 'now' and not dwell too much on the future.
"Good evening Sir... does the boy-King reside yonder?" the white-bearded man riding the steam-blowing camel asked and the tone
implied an answer was common.
Ninurta steeled himself from drawing the gun and taking the old guy's crown off with a bullet and called "yep... the stable is waiting
your mightiness". He didn't like the taste of those last words.
The thin-faced Royal in the fur coat on the left of 'white-beard' bowed slightly from his mount and said "we thank you Angel and
now we go to give tributes" Ninurta nodded and scanned the slipping and sliding servants with their bulky burdens.
The other King said nothing, but as he passed the two men standing in the cold, he leaned over and offered a handful of gold coins,
Ninurta ignored the money, but Joseph took them and thanked the crowned man with the jewelled sceptre.
As the final part of the entourage passed by, Ninurta spotted the long swords hanging from the well-muscled guards' belts.
With one deft movement, the Gunman slid one from the guard's scabbard in one fluid motion. The guard whirled to attempt to
reclaim his weapon, but Ninurta slipped the blade under the chin of the guard and any ideas of retrieval left the guard's mind.
"Let him be soldier!..." the bearded King called from the front of the group, "...he is the Emissary Of The Lord and will smite thee
without thought" The guard's eyes widened and wickedly-smiling Ninurta said softly "You'd better listen to yer' boss there fella...
or bad things could happen unto you"
The frightened guard hurried to catch up with group and left Joseph and his Angel alone at the roadside. The cold was enough
to make Joseph shiver, but Ninurta wondered if the Carpenter was shivering out of fear. "Come on Joe, we've others to meet..."
he said amiably and clapped the shaking man on the shoulder. "... I've got wings to earn before this night's through!"
The two trudged on.
...........................................
The terrified Boy In A Dress delivered the child without incident and with Tibbs assisting until the little man passed out at the end.
Mary now laid on the blankets that the Man-Girl had acquired from the Inn and due to the baby's future exploits, he forgave the
men who wolf-whistled as he'd left the establishment.
The baby now slept in his mother's arms and as Boy In A Dress stood up to bring some more kindling for the fire, Mary reached up
and took the eyeless creature's long finger nailed-hand. "You've been kind beyond kindness good Sir, for whatever reasons the Lord
as made you this way, I am sure you will be rewarded in Heaven"
Mary's voice was soft and easy on BIAD's assumed-ears and the being that would one day be cursed as the Devil himself, nodded and
ignored the sudden lump in his throat.
Tibbs came out of his faint a few minutes later and apologised for his weakness, the ever-forgiving hermaphrodite merely patted the
little man on the head, smiled and went about his chores. Mary sat up and watched the two men tidying the stable ready for the visitors
and a serene feeling fell over her... it seemed things were going to be okay.
BIAD heard the crunching of snow first and went to the stable door to greet the strangers. The sight of camels and glinting crowns told
the hermaphrodite that the Kings were the first of the trio of visitors. "Is it my husband?" Mary asked and it was Tibbs who answered.
"My Lady, your husband is helping our friend to find the people that were told of in the Scriptures..." Tibbs announced "... there are
certain things that must come to pass"
Mary looked down at the swaddled boy in her arms and whispered "I fear for my husband's safety, there are many who seek to thwart
my child's growth".
Boy In A Dress looked over from the doorway and offered "He's with Ninurta, I doubt any harm will befall him in his company"
Tibbs patted the donkey's nose as he passed the holding pen and muttered to himself "yes, but I'll wager Ninurta will find ways of
harming others... it's his gift".
The last words were almost spat out.
The Magi stepped up to the stable door and in unison dropped to their knees in prayer, Boy In A Dress absently eyed the silk in their
coats and wondered if one of them would barter... he'd ask later.
"I am Melichior and I seek audience with the holy child" said the white-bearded man in the golden robes, his face showed authority and
demanded respect. Even with light not being the best, the residents of the stable could all see that he display of humbleness sat foreign
on him.
"I am Jaspar, King of all south of this land, I offer all to the Son Of God" -this from the thin-faced gent with the kind eyes, in his arms
he held the white-fur coat and showed it was offered to the sitting Mary. The third man held an ornate wooden chest and though the
lid partly was down Tibbs and BIAD both, could see the pile of jewels heaped inside.
"I am Balthassar and give homage to the Light Of The World" he stuttered and the crowned man seemed to be weeping as he spoke.
Tibbs stepped forward and asked the three Kings to stand up, waving away assistance from their servants, the aged men got to their
feet and followed the little man inside. Boy In A Dress stood meekly to one side and all three Royals gawped with mouths open at the
sight of the voluptuous being in the tight red dress and high heels, yet it was Melichior who winked at -what he believed was someone
who would make a fine handmaiden.
"My... you're a fine woman, are you the midwife?" he asked and the blushing raven-haired vassal with the long fringe stood to attention
and nodded. The hermaphrodite had never been in the company of royalty before and he had always wanted to try on one of those tiaras.
Tibbs showed his eyeless associate a look of warning as he hurried the three Kings on towards where Mary and the baby were laid.
Without another word and without any indication that their Regality was being slighted, the old men sat down on the straw-scattered
floor near the nativity scene.
As everything settled down and the Kings sat in awe of the snoozing baby, Boy In A Dress went back to the stable doorway and hummed
'Running On Empty' by Jackson Browne as he peered out into the cold night. Ignoring the group of tent-pitching servants and guards,
BIAD looked beyond and wondered how his friend was faring.
Tibbs accompanied the Man-Girl at the entrance and guessed at the thoughts trapped inside that strange head of creature who shunned
underwear.
The Vithian knew of BIAD's destiny and had been unsuccessful in convincing him that a day would come when the affable hermaphrodite's
current demeanour would alter like metal-filings swiped with a magnet. An entire civilisation would turn to Boy In A Dress for leadership
and the power would sully his present disposition.
Boy In A Dress had denied such a possibility, but the look Ninurta had given the confused Man-Girl told him that such shadows lay waiting
in the tall grass of his future.
"Don't worry yourself Mr. Devil, our gun-happy friend will find the wise men... our only concern is whether it'll be down the sights of a
gun barrel" BIAD pursed his lips in disapproval.
...........................................
The couple comprised of a weary newly-titled father and man who had lost everything and cared little for anything, trudged along,
searching for the next group of travellers who would need to be guided in. The two men each lost in his own thoughts.
For his part, Ninurta was preoccupied with the odd realization that he wasn't as cold as he thought he ought to be, given the circumstances.
A soldiers life was often harsh, having to deal with whatever conditions that the weather saw fit to throw at him, learning how to sleep,
eat, and act in mud, rain, cold, or oppressive heat.
Whatever was there, that was a soldier's lot to deal with, and one learned to adjust. Still, the GunMan had never been overly fond of the
cold, and had always been susceptible to it's constant gnawing. Strangely, the cold that ought to be gnawing at him and soaking in, seemed
to be held at bay.
He'd learned long ago that one could imagine a spark of heat, internal to oneself, radiating outward to mitigate some of the cold,
just a bit of mind over matter, but this was somehow different. It seemed more external, as if the cold weren't really there at all
-which Ninurta could plainly see just by looking around WAS there.
Joseph broke the silence, and Ninurta's thoughts. "The Little Man -Tibbs, he said that you ARE an angel, yet you've denied that."
it was more of a question than a statement. "Can't take too much of what Tibbs says as Gospel, Joe." was his companion's reply.
"As what?" Joseph asked, checking his numbed-feet were still there. "Never mind. All I'm saying is that just because some little guy
that looks like one of Santa's elves tries to give me a promotion doesn't necessarily make it so."
"One of who's-whats?" Joseph asked, a confused look on his face. Ninurta sighed. "Never mind again. Just a local legend from my
home country..." he responded. "...I just am who I am."
Joseph's eyes widened, fear causing the whites to show.
"You are 'I Am'?" and he started to drop to his knees, right there in the snow, as Ninurta realized his mistake.
"NO! Get up Joe, you'll freeze to death wallering around in that snow! That's not what I meant at all..." the Gunman snapped.
As he picked the scared man back up and dusted the snow from him, Ninurta continued. "I'm just me. A man, just like you or any
one of those fellas that just left us, bound for the stable. Just me." he finished.
Joseph eyed him, not entirely convinced. "The foreign king - he told his man that you were 'a Emissary of the Lord'. That spells 'angel'
around here. Pretty much just as Tibbs had said -yet he couldn't have misheard Tibbs. And the way you made FOUR of Herod's men
just vanish... No mere man could do that against four trained soldiers... and the cold."
It seemed the recent panic of a supernatural Guardian of God had loosened the Carpenter's tongue and so he continued with his hurried
monologue. "You're not at all dressed for it, yet I've not seen so much as a single shiver from you. No, sir, there's something about your
claim that just don't add up against what I see" he finished.
Ninurta's jaw clenched. "Let's reach an understanding, Joe. I'm not a 'sir' to anyone. I work fer a living. Moreover, I'm a nobody.
Nobody at all - just a pretty highly-trained and somewhat experienced nobody. That's all I a... all I claim to be. Nothing more."
The pair trudged on a bit further in silence, Joseph still not convinced by Ninurta's words in the face of evidence to the contrary.
At length, Joseph spoke up again. "All you claim to be. I understand how your kind tends to try moving around unnoticed.
Your secret is safe with me, then."
The rarely-amused Gunman released a long, exasperated sigh, stopped, hung his head, and shook it vigorously. When he raised his
head again, Ninurta noticed in the distance, yet another group of travellers which gained his immediate attention.
Folks won't be out and about on a night like this without cause. That must be the next bunch, he mused.
"Over there, Joseph. Looks like we've got more visitors. Let's go round 'em up - but this time YOU get to roll out the welcome mat.
I'm just along for the ride." Joseph stared at him, puzzled. "Roll out the what? You sure seem to have trouble with plain Hebrew,
for a celestial emissary."
Ninurta resisted the urge to slap some sense into Joseph, and merely remarked "I ain't from around here."
He was going to have to have a little word with Tibbs over this.
"I thought not." was all Joseph said. The odd couple headed towards the next group of visitors, Ninurta shaking his head in frustration.
...........................................
(To Be Continued)
Edith Head Gives Good Wardrobe.