Monster - A. Lee Martinez [102]
“The Oak Pines apartments. Do you need the address?”
“No, I got it.”
“Isn’t that kind of a contradiction?” asked Charlene. “I don’t think trees can be both oaks and pines.”
Chester folded his arms and cleared his throat.
“Do you think it’s Judy?” he asked.
“Don’t know. Don’t care.”
“Come on. You can’t tell me you aren’t curious. You haven’t talked to her since that night, right?”
“Nope.”
“The two of you restored balance to the universe,” said Chester, “vanquished an ancient cosmic parasite. You don’t wonder what’s happened to her since then?”
“Nope.”
“You’d think that there’d be some kind of special bond between the two of you. Like old army buddies who have been under fire together.”
“Nope.”
Chester said, “Your universe has just gotten a fresh start, a chance to finally grow into something more. It seems to me that a person with any sense at all would take that opportunity to grow with it.”
“Mmm-hmm,” said Monster as he sipped a cup of coffee.
They arrived at Oak Pines. Paulie was sitting outside his apartment.
“Hey, dudes!” said Paulie.
Monster mumbled a reply and nodded, but kept walking. Judy’s old apartment was still in ruins. Construction had just started.
He found the second-floor apartment Charlene had given him and knocked on the door. A young girl answered.
“You must be the blue guy and the paper guy.” She looked Monster over. “Why aren’t you blue?”
“Sorry to disappoint,” replied Monster.
“We’re here for the cryptobiological,” said Chester.
“Yeah, sure.” Shouting, she retreated into the apartment. “Aunt Judy, the blue guy’s here! But he’s burgundy! Maybe radish-colored!” She plopped onto a couch, stuck in some earphones, and flipped through a video game magazine.
Judy stuck her head out of the kitchenette. “Hey, guys. Come on in.”
Monster stepped inside. “So you moved back here?”
“Eh, the rent is good. And the new manager is actually a decent guy.”
“Who’s the kid?”
“My niece,” said Judy. “She’s staying with me for a while until my sister and her husband settle with the insurance company for the house.”
“Yeah,” said Monster. “Sorry about that.”
“Forget it. You did what you had to. It’s kind of a good thing. Gave me a chance to get to know Nancy.” She walked over and gave Nancy a hug. Nancy half smiled, though she quickly masked it under some artificial annoyance.
“She’s actually a pretty cool kid,” said Judy. “Don’t let the reception fool you.”
“Uh-huh,” said Monster. “So where’s the crypto?”
Judy went to the bedroom and returned with a transmogrified crypto in rock form.
“Thanks. What is it?”
“Naga,” she said. “Just a little one.”
“Are you still having crypto trouble?” asked Chester.
“No, that problem is over. No more subconscious manipulation of the fabric of the universe for me anymore, thank God. I just found this one outside and thought you might like it.”
“Who transmogrified it?”
“I did. I’ve been studying up.” She pointed to a few used magical textbooks on a shelf.
“You’re cognizant now?” asked Chester.
“I guess so, but then again, I’m not the only one, am I?”
“That’s wonderful news.”
“Wonderful,” agreed Monster halfheartedly. “So if that’s all you need—”
“How long have you been studying?” said Chester.
“About two weeks,” she replied.
“And you can already accomplish a full-fledged transmogrification? That’s amazing.”
“Amazing.” Monster reached for the doorknob. “So I really have to be going—”
“Are you thinking about a career change, Judy?” said Chester.
“I’m considering a few things.” She smiled. “If I can bring myself to leave the glamorous world of stacking canned goods into decorative pyramids.”
“Tell you what, Chester,” said Monster. “I’ll meet you in the van when you two are done catching up.”
“Monster, wait.”
He stopped halfway out the door. “What?”
“I just thought that maybe we were friends now or something.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. It’s just something you see in the movies all the time. Two people meet and at first they don’t get along. Then they go through some big crisis, help each other out, develop a begrudging level of respect.”
“Movies, huh?