Watched by Light and Dark ~
Roger - "I only met Him once directly." (true story) "I looked around at the world, after I found out how Heaven was powered, I found out a lot of things in the hunts. It wasn't that I lost faith, it's that what I did have faith in was a lot of bullshit. Not that it wasn't real, but that it was.
"I went mad about, slow brew, days ... and then I pulled my good knife and called Him out. Right then and there, He was doing down.
"And I heard His voice saying He's on His way, walking up this street from this direction and to meet him at the corner."
Scott - "Crossroads."
Roger - "Yes sir. I sheathed ans started walking ... " Shakes his head slow ... "And there He was. The absolute last kind of guy you wanna fight. Six and a half feet tall and built like a brick. Wrap around shades that for some reason didn't look stupid on him, long ass hair blowing in the wind like the wind was made to blow it.
"Hiking gear, with a vest and pockets, no pocket overstuffed, nothing sagging. Goddamn perfect. Takes one look at me and smiles and just says, 'Mm-Hm.' Keeps on walking.
"That's when I knew. When I understood. God is a traveler, he created the world to explore it, but that could only be fun, if free will existed. It had to be unpredictable. And now that He's got that, he has no interest in ruling it at all. Only in exploring it."
Scott - "So do you consider that God or Jesus ?"
Roger - "Same thing in that context. Jesus is God's Avatar, like in a game."
Scott - "You mean our world."
Roger - "Well. We digress. Really, all I know is that God is a traveler who wanders the Earth. The rest is supposition as to why."
Scott - "Makes sense. Did you ever consider the parallels of Lucifer's tale with that of the Christos ?"
Roger - "Jesus Christ."
Scott - "Yeah that's the one. Lucifer was the firstborn, so is said of Jesus, and being cast out in spirit is to be born into flesh, there was no Hell at the time of these tale, it was Heaven and Earth. Hell came later."
Roger - "Heard of it."
Scott - "Yeah you know all that, I'm just connecting the dots to show you a picture."
Roger - "I already see it. And in the end, both cried out forsaken."
Scott - "So they say."
Roger - "So they say ... but do you think that it's true ?"
Scott - "I don't think they're the 'same being', no. I think there's a lot of parallels, and maybe that tells us something about how God treats His children."
Roger - "And you're talking to me about crisis of faith."
Scott - "There's no crisis I already said. We were paid in advance, this is a job now. Faith has nothing to do with it."
Roger - "You make it sound so easy."
Scott - "It is that easy."
Roger - "Maybe for you it all got easier over time, but for me, it got harder."
Scott - "Why ?"
Roger - "Lack of finality. The grind. You know if you work in a burger joint you get sick of burgers."
Scott - "Not sure that I would."
Roger - "Exactly. We're almost there, weapons check."
They fade from the world as though cloaking in reverse, the rest of the streets becoming shaky transparencies, themselves now armored, drawing sword to examine.
Scott - Eying Roger's, "Whatchu got ?"
Roger - "Chinese war sword. Made for two things, taking heads and chopping wood. Excellent for both." Eying, "You ?"
Scott - Giggles, "Excalibur."
Roger - "You dork."
Scott - "Yah."
They and the world returns to normal as they sheathe, Scott flickers briefly as female.
____
Marsha - "They're almost there."
Nails - "I know. I got something for you."
Marsha - "Yeah ? Why ?"
Nails - Smiles, "You're quick. But why not I'm in a good fucking mood." He looks to the hippies loading back into the bus ... "It's a job."
Marsha - "I can't trash this bus, we got as good out here."
Nails - "No no. You drive this." He motions to the hot-rod. "It's hot as hell and I need it disposed of, however." ... "I also need a burger from crosstown. How you perform these two tasks is entirely up to you."
Marsha - "Excellent. What's the pay."
Nails - Reaching into his pocket for some cash, "Best burger you ever will eat, on the house." Drops a couple of twenties in her hand. "With the fries. You don't even know the fries. Try and come back in something we can chop. But absolutely not in this conspicuous piece of evidence right here."
Marsha - "What's the crime ?"
Nails - "Asking too many questions."
Marsha - "There's literally a body in the trunk isn't there."
Nails - Another twenty, "And the shakes."
Marsha - "They'd better be damn good shakes."
Nails - "You tell me when you come back with one for yourself but don't touch it one the way now. I wanna see your face. Six grand when you do plus whatever for the next car, take it or leave it. Better get back before it melts, if you really wanna know."
Marsha - ... "I wanna know. What's this joint called."
____
The tires screech away ...
Nails - Laughs watching ...
Hammer - "Did you get one for me."
Nails - "Fuck you."
Hammer - "Grand if I get back first."
Nails - "My ass." Reaches for his money. "Get me the full trio and I want that fucking shake cold."