Their Call, Calico: The Series
Part Six
◀ Back to Part Five | Table of Contents
Based on Original Published Work by Author
☯ Legend on reading Calico’s Life:
☴ Indicator for dialogue: “ ”
☶ Indicator for thought, and lyrics: Italic Font
☱ Indicator for action: Bold Font or wording with quotations.
☳ Poems and Songs [ are indicated ]
☷ Names : Bold Italics
☵ Setting set inside: Brackets: {SETTING}/{BOLD}
“ 호 랑 이 도 제 말 하 면 온다 “
Speak of the tigers, and they will come.
THREE
YEARS
LATER
Calico has matured, and looks slightly larger. He sits atop the giant Bonsai tree watching the sunset with Gammina on a branch.
Calico:
“ I favor this part of the day, it reminds me of the tale of Kharliktrottose when he observed that he would win a battle against the Therochordis general Herrogianiare, because he exclaimed that the flames of Purity were taking on the darkness. And as Chlorestigon began to set, and in trickery, without injury Herrogianiare surrendered with his battellers (troops) an entire brashwa away. ”
Gammina:
“ You’re always full of experiences, Calico. Anything else of which draws you such favor? ”
Calico:
“ Well, would you share a song with me, that I keep near my internal beating luminescence? ”
Gammina:
“ A Pure Kind opera hymn, or one you learned from your odyssey of long ago? ”
Calico:
“ It does seem quite awhile, doesn’t it? ”
Gammina stares into the sun going down into Calico’s glistening pupils.
Gammina:
“ Time seems to do that. ”
Calico moves forward, and pretends to glance at her deeply- and then goes to beside her face. Calico licks Gammina’s cheek, she pushes him aside and laughs.
Calico:
“ You’re still an eight-year-old looking for love in young grubbies, don’t ever kid yourself from that. ”
Gammina:
“ Calico. ”
Gammina’s claws extend as she grips into the branch. Calico eyes the extension.
Calico:
“ Well… It’s the song Komiak sang to me that night from my journey.
Gammina, are you ready? ”
Gammina:
“ Ready as ever. ”
Calico:
“ I know. ”
[ Song. “ Knuck Pzark by Calico and Gammina”
Calico:
(hums the tune) What once was a Knucka Knucka-goes:
Calico and Gammina:
Knuck Pzark, Knuck Pzark.
Calico:
There’s a tusk in the stream and it looks so heavy-
Says he’s out of steam.
But behold in the night, shaking to and fro,
Over here, over there, and away we go.
What once was a Knucka Knucka-goes:
Calico:
Knuck Pzark, Knuck Pzark.
Gammina:
Oh grubby, I say, what once goes Knucka-goes:
Calico:
Knuck Pzark, Knuck Pzark.
Calico and Gammina:
Oh, what once goes Knucka…
Calico and Gammina:
Goes Knuck Pzark, Knuck Pzark.
Song.end ]
Calico:
“ You do sing well, and I agree to this because the sun hasn’t gone down all the way. ”
Gammina:
“ So, now you want me to surrender to you, is that it? ”
Calico:
“ There is possibility in that. ”
Gammina kisses Calico’s cheek.
Gammina:
“ Why am I still a virgin after these three years? ”
Calico:
“ The training is just getting up to the level of the acts. ”
Gammina:
“ But, I could teach them to you. ”
Calico:
“ It’s better that they involve a surprise tactic. ”
Gammina:
“ Oh, Calico. ”
Calico:
“ You know, I almost mentioned this to you a few times, but has your Rendemrabo taken you to the Forbidden tower, in the back of the village? ”
Gammina:
“ Would you think Rendemrabo would be that kind to his own grubby?
It’s the same problem everyday of my life, he doesn’t love me Calico, I see it in his eyes. ”
Calico:
“ He just wants you to be safe- just overly safe so you’re not getting into trouble that would spark the interest of gorilla whores thousands of kilometers away. ”
Gammina:
“ Now, what would I do that would attract gorilla whores thousands of kilometers away? ”
{ Washington, D.C. — The White House — The Diplomatic Reception Room [now known as the Guest Meeting Place]
A pale blue and gold rococo carpet of this ovular room is full with oxford shoe prints of the concerned Cabinet members of the President of the United States, pacing.
The surrounding round wall displays the famous painted 1830s verdant French Zuber mural of scenery swimming around the clicking teeth and tapping pens; of which, scribble out of the distilled concentration of the Capital’s main concern. }
The President abruptly enters the Diplomatic room in a blue silk golf polo shirt with a tiger embroidered logo on the upper right hand pocket; he stands out more casually than the rest of the Cabinet. He greets everyone with the usual handshakes, murmured dialogue and such. Service members go and move his desk items into position, and the White House staff members toss away the junk food bags on his desk. They wipe it down and spray the chair with half a can of aerosol air freshener. And like a racecar crew team, they give the secret service members a nod with a thumbs up, before exiting.
Three other White House kitchen employees come with trays of freshly brewed coffee in official white porcelain logo’ed mugs which are promptly handed to each of the members.
Sips and slurps slide off the clearing of throats and quietly revealing coughs. The room quiets down, as the President picks his teeth while sitting down at his desk.
The President:
“ Thank you all for coming to the usual end-of-the-month coffee meeting here in the Diplomatic Room. Like any office or working office-an office that… works well together, employees need some spare time to talk. God, I’m tired, can’t think straight or talk right, please pass me another mug of Joe, Mara.
(another mug is given to the President, and he gives it a light sipping)
As we are under so much stress these days that its not a requirement, it comes standard.
But take a sip and let’s collect our thoughts.
(staff members are about to sip, and the President kicks his chair away and stands up)
Now, I am not concerned what the polls indicate, because these are always made up by college interns. Someone please tell the Time Magazine lady to go tell it on a mountain that a little bird said for her to get a life.
It is of the utmost highest priority right now in our budget for the next few years at least ( he crosses his fingers)- reelection- high likelihood- that war prevention in the mainland is… it, wouldn’t you all agree? ”
Nods of staff members appear in a united stadium wave.
The Cabinet Members who realize now is the time to drink their coffee, swear aloud as it is extremely hot. They choke and cough a bit.
The President:
“ Pussies! That’s exactly what they always think of us (he turns to pin his focus on a gardener blowing leaves on the lawn). See, Lupe, doesn’t complain.
I recently received an email. Now, normally, I do not check my emails and I usually don’t look at a computer without my glasses on, but I just put my glasses on and began to read my emails.
I found something that might lead me to believe that our friends in South Korea are clueless about what is hiding in South Korea. They’re just as clueless as we all are to who and what is living in our country this very instant. I mean… intel. If we didn’t have intel, we would be making stuff up left and right. Am I right? ”
Staff members don’t know whether to respond with his party type or agree, so they keep on chugging their mugs.
The President:
“Now as facetious as this might sound, and it’s not facetious — let’s be clear, North Korea has indicated that there are still weapons but they have moved them in closer proximity to the Southern Border. Who in the North Korean government said it? Intel. That is what we have and what this proud nation runs on.
This source stated that they have refused to give them up because I sent them a letter asking them to. I think I sent it about two or three days ago. Yes, I a remember, I sent it by mail. So, if my logistics are correct, it should be arriving this very instant.
So… I have asked the Secretary of Defense to inform me of any odd locations or unusual weapon hoards. He should be arriving here in one hour with the satellite scan report.
Now, while we wait, who wants to play telephone and estimate what the press will say about a topic, next?- Like how important I am in the polls.”
Shadows move across the White House. The President’s eyes widen in realization.
The President:
“ I stand corrected, it is daylight savings.”
The Secretary of Defense enters wearing gray Army jogging sweats with black sneakers, and has some sweat stains on him. He is also carrying a towel around his neck.
The Defense Secretary:
“ Hey all…I was working up a sweat. ”
Mr. President:
“ We were just talking about you. About South Korea…”
The Secretary:
“ Uh huh. ”
Mr. President:
“ South Korea. ”
The Secretary:
“ South Korea. Oh, South Korea-the state! Oh wow- the country! There are quite a handfull of those things and it’s hard to keep track of them, sometimes. ”
Mr. President:
“ Intel. What did you find, Smitterton? ”
The Secretary:
“ Mr. President, my personnel had sent our Seoul tech deployment office, a memo to test the Sight-Xcyte prototype two weeks ago when we received the ‘email.’ ”
Mr. President:
“ To clarify to everyone, I read that email today so the email is in the present, and the Secretary read the email in the past… and it is still the present day. It is recent. We have that type of technology, after all. Go on. ”
The Secretary:
“One of the coordinates, and this is on the new email which I will email everyone here, about 20 miles from a sewage system at Woraksan National Park, has picked odd chemical readings. After the deployment of the robot into the field, we were able to find a former abandoned ghost monastery town. The paint on it is fresh however.”
The President:
“ Do ghost paint? Was Picasso really real? What does this mean, Smitterton? Intel, please tell us? I just really need to sneak up on the next tour group, and act surprised, so I can get pampered with stranger hugs and kisses. It’s in five minutes.
I am just so bored of being President, today. ”
The Secretary:
“ Mr. President, the paint has lead in it. The amount of lead in that vicinity alone is simply not magnanimous. What were those monks thinking? ”
The President:
“ So if North Korea… They’re going to paint our ally red and fill them… with Lead?!
It makes perfect sense. We thought it was literal ammunition or missiles, but it’s the element itself.
Chemistry! ”
{ The President waves his clenched fist towards a picture of himself at a local Washington D.C. middle school science fair. }
The Secretary of Health & Human Services:
“ Lead paint! Lead Paint! Quite a dangerous weapon indeed! Neurological disorders, a heightened chance of fatalities, and even the rare case of Lead Paint Anemia where the body paints away its own red blood cells. Mr. President, this could be the new Hiroshima of Japan, but now located in Korea! ”
The President:
“ Men, and two ladies, I thought the world rid itself of lead paint- but a country of oh-so-vile intentions has brought it back to brush it in National Parks, in schools, on shopping malls, and fluffy mink coats! It’s time for us to bring our own Primer! Semi-gloss assassinations: not on my watch!
Let me see if I can log into my email again. Let’s discuss tomorrow… urgently speaking of course.”
{The following day in the evening at the Pure Kind Temple… Calico exits the atrium with the other brottos. They are conversing about finally learning the acts and what they plan to do with the other female pure kind which they have built a relationship with. Gammina sits near her quarters and watches him arrive.
}Gammina kisses Calico’s cheek, and they both enter the home. {Gammina has completed a painting of the universe which shines in the night sky all over the living area, the flooring, and even on the windows.}
Calico:
“ Remember when we painted the great trails together from the origin planets to the brother planets? ”
Gammina:
“ Remember? You compliment me every day on its beauty, or my beauty-which one I still don’t know. ”
Calico:
“ The wall I think is just fine without compliments- ”
Gammina:
“ So, my work of art doesn’t need any compliments, or it doesn’t compliment the wall? Calico? ”
Calico:
“ The wall is built to hold magnificence and it exists as is, but with you and your great efforts, the wall is beautiful. ”
Gammina:
“ Calico. ”
Calico:
“ Gammina. ”
Gammina:
“ Are you ready to begin the acts, my love? ”
The two look up into each other’s eyes, and it’s like the first time Calico laid eyes on her. Time surrounded them, love solidified in memory form.
Calico:
“ (by rote, Calico begins to recite the act’s verse) We’ve long started before we’ve met in our initial trail towards one another. ”
Gammina:
“ And over the bridge, I have waited for you to complete your trail — oh, I sound silly reciting the texts. ”
Calico:
“ No, please, Gammina…And each day learning the Pure Kind way I move closer to our true purpose and connection, and still you wait for me. ”
Gammina:
“ Three years — wait for you — wait! ”
Calico:
“ Gammina. ”
Gammina:
“ Oh okay, and uh still I…will…wait for you always from the sun’s earliest rise to the darkest regions of our beings. I will wait. ”
Calico:
“ And I will long to meet you in your eyes. ”
Gammina:
“ And I can’t wait to kiss your belly. ”
Calico:
“ Gammina! And by our connection to the Great Chlorestigon, we complete our bond and work together to give purity endless life. ”
Gammina:
“ And by Chlorestigon, I will wait with her until I see your shadow approaching mine.
And I, at first, fret because your longing for me burns uncontrollably like the Therochordis hunger for power over the land of the Juhikyop.
And so I take to my daggering claws for protection. ”
Calico backs away and looks into her eyes, and she gets her claw ready for the first swipe at his jaw. Calico opens his stance to be bled again. Gammina gets ready to attack, but stops midway in her striking pose as she is nervous about it.
Calico:
“ What is it, Gammina? ”
Gammina:
“ You are all grown up, and we’ve grown up together, and everything, and I want to love you… I don’t want to love you by hurting you.
Oh, let’s just please get to the next act. ”
Calico:
“ Are you sure, Gammina? It may be fun. Oh, okay the next act… ”
Gammina:
“ And so after I wounded him in a great battle of confusion I anointed his wounds with the persimmon fruit, and his wounds were cleansed… Calico? ”
Calico:
“ Oh no, Gammina…I am at fault. I was thinking about you after the brottos text study and all I could think about was you… and I forgot to run with the other brottos to the persimmon plants near the Great Labyrinth. But, I will go now quickly to fetch some- ”
Gammina:
“ No! Calico, I almost forgot on my part, uh… Rendemrabo is performing the darkness labyrinth ritual and it might interrupt him- and that not one single non-elect pure kind can be in his presence during the process. ”
Calico:
“ Then, I will be as quiet as I can. I love you, and I can tell three years is quite a long wait for you to be waiting for me to cross the bridge. ”
Gammina:
“ Calico! No other pure kind has ever, and I mean ever trespassed even near the edge of the Hall of the Fountains when Rendemrabo is walking the trail. It is forbidden, and what if you are caught? ”
Calico:
“ Do you love me, Gammina? ”
Gammina:
“ Yes, that is why I will wait for you among all the other pure kind to do the acts with. ”
Calico:
“ Do you love me, Gammina? ”
Gammina:
“ Yes, what is the matter? ”
Calico:
“ I’ve seen death before, and the longing to see that person again before they pass is unbearable in the moment; but you, Gammina to be with you is like that. ”
Gammina:
“ So I’m the embodiment of death? ”
Calico:
“ No, Gammina, I love you like that. I want to be with you always. Now, do you love me? ”
Gammina peers into Calico’s burning blue eyes and then at the painting in her room, and the temple palace in the starry sky through her window, and then swallows.
She has never considered love in such a great measure before. Gammina starts to shiver a bit, and tears start coming to her, and she begins to understand her lover.
Gammina:
“ It’s so powerful. ”
Calico:
“ Now you understand, why on the day I saw you here on that ladder, I- ”
Calico begins to get teary but swallows his passion; Gammina starts to cry and embraces Calico.
Gammina:
“ I love you, Calico. I love you. ”
Calico:
“ I love you, Gammina. And if I break the rule tonight, and I die or am punished- ”
Gammina:
“ I will wait for you always, and now the texts seem to make sense. ”
Gammina and Calico kiss.
Calico throws a quick glance at Gammina one last time and heads away from the village under the silent starry sky.
He goes {into the dark and dimly lit red marble mountain gate tunnel trying not to make any noise, and then slowly ventures down the stairs to the Hall of the Fountains.
In the Hall of the Fountains, the only sounds are the running fountains pouring endlessly into the marble pools. Ahead, stands the Giant Bonsai tree buzzing with checkered cuckoo bees.
In the distance Calico catches a glimpse at a shimmering object or something shining through the leaves. He slowly begins to move forward passed the Hall of the Fountains into the Magnolia Tree grove area.
Calico feels the cool soil below him break up against his paws, and he continues to tread forward into the fields of the Magnolia Tree.
The glimmering is even further ahead than was felt near the Bonsai Tree. The light seems to waver and carries black moving dust with it. Calico is in a state of amazement.
The lip smacks of whispering rise in volume. Briefly turning to examine the Magnolia Tree Grove and the Mountain Gate, Calico continues towards his curiosity’s delight. The whispering becomes louder as he heads towards the forested gates, and the Great Labyrinth Fields.
Finally, he comes to the persimmon tree just in reach, but stops before touching the fruit of acts. Calico wonders about the ever-glowing light of multiple lights blooming from the Circle of the Twelve Buddhas around the Great Labyrinth. He quickly pulls a persimmon of the tree.
As he edges closer, staying low in the fields, with a persimmon in his mouth, he sees that each Golden Buddha has a flame torch in each of their laps. Calico had seen torches before during a tiki themed party at the San Francisco Zoo, and then remembers Rendemra’s discussion on the value of fire and energy for the Therochordis.}
Calico edges close enough to view and hear the discussion of the Labyrinth.
{ In the torched 12-Buddha Statue circle are the twelve tigers who attacked Komiak. Each individual tiger is sitting at each Golden Buddha statue eying and listening to the voice of what was a whisperer from the distance. This voice now beams in great volume with the beat and heat of the flames-this voice is Rendemra’s.
Calico is shocked, but still curious.}
Rendemra:
“ Pengall excellent work, your Gengallbo would have been very impressed by your efforts, today. However it was unfortunate that because of outsiders like Jul, or in the upper Northern territories, Dorimmda and Karen- the regular kind have taken to being more rebellious on account of their presence against the laws of our ancestors.
It was a great loss to both the Pure Kinds and the Tiger Kind Clans alike, for we are here together, the leaders of the Tiger Clans and I-the leader of the Pure Kind of Korea. With our alliance, we are truly pure brottos.
Glammuth, what news of you today from the port? ”
Glammuth sitting to the left of Pengall nods, and Rendemra turns and eyes him; the other Tigers turn and listen.
Glammuth:
“ Brotto Rendemrabo, the gorilla whores are mentioning a tanker coming in tomorrow from the San Diego Zoo with an injured Rhinoceros. When should we kill the beast, my brotto? ”
Rendemra:
“ Blarkthaw, and Volartant? Will you have your fellow clannars (clan members) in range by sundown tomorrow? ”
Blarkthaw:
“ It can be done, Rendemra, though they are tired from the last kill of twelve elephants two nights ago. ”
Rendemra:
“ What about you, Volartant, any excuses? ”
Volartant:
“ Blarkthaw, you mean to tell me that your clan is dying? How weak a leader you are to your clannars. Why don’t I kill you and replace you with one of my clannars right now? You are a disgrace beyond your antiwonians already to the eleven leaders who stand before you on such sacred grounds, and you worship yourself to call yourself a pure kind brotto. ”
Blarkthaw:
“ They will be ready as soon as they can, they haven’t been fed adequately and their bones are aging. ”
Volartant:
“ Aging clannars? Are all your female clannars infertile, or more suitably are your dimwicks unable to carry enough white antons to bring more grubbies? ”
The 11 Leader Tigers shriek in laughter at Blarkthaw.
Rendemra:
“ Aww, even I, myself at the age of fifty-three antiwonians- ”
Blarkthaw:
“ And still going strong, my brotto- ”
Rendemra:
“ Did I permit you to speak?! ”
Glammuth:
“ He dares to interrupt the purest of the pure, he must be killed now. ”
Polarth:
“ Kill him like Lacroth two moons prior from today! ”
Blarkthaw:
“ And he was my clannarzo (brother in Tiger clannar). ”
Pengall:
“ Then, you shall die decently like Lacroth! ”
Blarkthaw:
“ But I am not — I have a grubby on the way — I ”
Volartant:
“ Lies, disloyalty; he acts like an outsider already, with your permission let me end his ruling. ”
Rendemra:
“ So be it.
If, and I say (preaches) if of the Juhykiop, stand affirmatively, on our side as we know they all will, they all will. Blarkthaw is to die, and the body is to be carried off to the road to be deposited for Antoine.
Then it be known that Volartant shall elect a leader clannar only from his clan to take Blarthaw’s place. Otherwise, Blarkthaw stays and Pengall’s grubby daughter shall replace Volartant. ”
Blarkthaw can barely gets his hind legs back up, and his heart beats heavily. He tilts his head down in grief.
Pengall:
“ Sounds compromising. At least Blarkthaw will feel more comfortable when my daughter makes fun of his old mess of a body with his grubby ass to wipe his tears in, and lick them up.”
Blarkthaw:
“ I knew your Gengallbo, and- ”
Pengall:
“ You can keep talking about my Gengallbo, wherever your life goes after you’re dead. Fellow leaders: leave Volartant and and Blarkthaw to brawl before the Flames of Purity.”
The 10 Leaders except Volartant and Blarkthaw:
“ With Purity. ”
Rendemra:
“ And with purity earned. Begin! ”
The Leader tigers scatter off the Great Labyrinth Circle, and Blarkthaw swallows as Volartant runs and instantly pounces and roars on Blarkthaw. Blarkthaw slams into the golden Buddha statue behind him. Blarkthaw roars as does Volartant.
Blarkthaw scrambles and scampers to the side as Volartant pounces towards him again. They roar again towards each other. Volartant flashes his teeth and moves his tale intrepidly back and forth. Blarkthaw begins to pace back and forth eying Volartant’s next move.
With annoyance Volartant runs and tries to dig his fangs into Blarkthaw’s neck. Blarkthaw swings his left claw and slices into Volartant’s cheek. Volartant quickly does the same daggered swipe into Blarkthaw’s left side of his face and they both rear back and stand up throwing claw blows at each other, growling furiously.
Blood puddles below them. Blarkthaw uses his hind legs and pounces onto Volartant, and quickly castrates him with his claws on his hind leg paw claws. Volartant screams in painful roars, blood rages below him.
Blarkthaw sneers and pushes Volartant to the side and plows him against a golden Buddha statue. The torch becomes unhooked and falls and ignites the blood trail of Volartant, and immediately follows onto his body.
Volartant screeches and wails, roars in pain. He tries to get up but flings himself to the ground mortally injured. Fur melts off his skin in clumps, shriveling up in the embers.
With Volartant’s last effort as he is now covered in flames as his bones are beginning to reveal themselves out of his skin, brings himself to get up and jumps on Blarkthaw’s back. Immediately his flaming claws brace onto Blarkthaw’s face and rip open his eye sockets and Blarkthaw’s face is covered in blood, and he stumbles back as the rest of Volartant burns up on the circle.
Blarkthaw shakes his body on the grass that he can only feel, and not visually see, until he feels the flames sift off his body.
Blarkthaw:
“ I am the victor! The great Blarkthaw! I am still a brotto of the Pure Kind! I am the victor! ”
Rendemra:
“ But, what good is a clannar leader if he cannot see? Kill him, remaining clannar leaders. He has insulted us twice this evening, and I do not allow-even my own pure kind to treat me with such folly behavior! ”
“His” own pure kind?
This is Rendemra? I can’t believe my eyes! I almost feel like Blarkthaw, this is unreal, I can’t believe this.
But it is. I feel very faint, but I can’t move-not now.
They’ll kill me. I can’t move. I don’t know, Chlorestigon, help me!
No, oh no, Gammina, they would hurt her.
No, no! What do I do? Why did I come here?
Pengall and the other nine leaders pounce on the limping blind Blarkthaw and horrifically stab, and rip his body apart, and Blarkthaw can’t even defend himself as he tries to swipe at nothing.
Over half of the Great Labyrinth is covered in the blood of the tigers.
Calico watches as Rendemra walks onto the drying blood from the tigers and smiles at watching them tear Blarkthaw to shreds.
{The flames dancing, and the sound of muscles and bones breaking and stretching echoes in the silence. The flames. The Flames. THE FLAMES !}
END OF PART SIX
Including Content from the original story published in the author’s work
The Trails To Attrition © 2007, Wasteland Press, Inc.
ISBN-13: 9781600471520© 2024, Their Call, Calico: the Series
Wasteland PressAdam Mullin (a.k.a. Good Day, Adam)
