Part 32 (2/2)
”What?” Tony asked. ”That doesn't make sense. How do you do that? You can't do that. It's not possible.”
”It's not about what is possible or impossible. It's about what is. You can try and use logic or science as much as you want. Go ahead and give me the giggles. It's in your nature to a.n.a.lyse and rationalize. But in the end, when it's a person's time, they get to meet me, and I give them the choice. Accept what is and come along. Or resist. Some choose life and go on as best as they can. I don't know why. It's not my place to ask really. The ones that agree to go, they come with me, and I take them to the other side.”
”The other side?”
Frank smirked. ”C'mon, now. You know all about that.”
”You mean...” Tony lead in, waiting for Frank to fill in the blank. Only Frank didn't. Tony waved his hands, urging the other to respond. Frank did not. He sipped his drink instead.
”The other side,” Tony finally said.
”Yes, the G.o.dd.a.m.n other side,” Frank snapped, suddenly p.i.s.sy. ”You having another?”
”Huh? Oh. Yeah,” he looked at his empty gla.s.s.
”You're not gay are you?” Frank asked him.”
”What?” this jolted Tony. ”No! What? Just because I drink daiquiris?”
”Strawberry ones,” H added. Frank's eyebrows went up in yeah really! as he waved for a waitress.
”So I like strawberry daiquiris,” Ton said petulantly. ”Ain't nothing wrong with that.”
The two men were silent.
”There's not.”
H drained his mug. Frank looked away, trying to spy the waitress.
”f.u.c.k you both, then,” Tony grumped.
”Another pitcher,” Frank said to the waitress that appeared. ”And another daiquiri for the princess here.”
The waitress smiled and left. Tony felt a little annoyed at both of them.
”Never thought Death was an alchy,” he said.
”Yeah, well?” Frank fixed him with a knowing stare. ”What do you do for a living?”
Point, Tony conceded. He should be living out of a bottle.
”Hey, what's your real name anyway?” Tony asked him.
”You want me to write it down for you? It's a h.e.l.luva lot better than Death, I can tell you that. Christ, what were you c.o.c.ksmokers thinking. The Muslims call me Malak al-Maut. Ancient Greece referred to me as Thanatos. Thanatos. That's some cool s.h.i.+t ”Hey, I didn't name you,” Tony defended himself. ”So don't get p.i.s.sy with me. What's his name?”
”He's H,” Frank told him.
”Just H?”
H smiled. ”It's a game we sometimes play. You use the names all the time, so we like to see folks guess our names. Our nicknames.”
”So you all have nicknames and real names?”
”Mhm,” Frank acknowledged.
”And you chose 'Frank'?”
”What's wrong with 'Frank'?” Death asked.
”Nothin',” Tony said. ”Fits fine if you ask me. Death is Frank.”
”Better than d.i.c.k.”
That drew a chuckle from H.
”Yeah,” Tony agreed. ”Stick with Frank. d.i.c.k could be a little, what's the word, confrontational. You'd be hunting for people then.”
”I don't do that.”
”Oh, no?” Tony was interested. ”So, if you heard on the news an announcer say, oh for example, 'Twelve people were d.i.c.ked last night in a highway collision', you wouldn't be p.i.s.sed off?”
Frank screwed up his face in annoyance. The waitress returned with their orders before he could retort. She sat the drinks down before them and retreated with a smile. H grinned a thank you at her.
”f.u.c.k you,” Frank shot at Tony.
Tony sipped on his fresh Daiquiri. It was plenty tangy and good. ”Yeah, thought so.”
”How's your drink, dear?” Frank asked.
”Great. Yours, d.i.c.kie?”
H began to choke on his beer, enough to turn his face red. Frank let him.
”Ain't you gonna help him?” Tony asked Death, taking another relaxed sip.
”Why? Not like he's going to choke.”
”To d.i.c.k,” Tony corrected him, and grinned.
<script>