The Mist and the Lightning. Part 19

And Kors burst into the living room with dusty stuffed animals. Zagpeace and Nik were still standing there, and Zagpeace, turning to Nik, was saying something to him.

“Varakh is alive!” Kors yelled without any preamble, rudely interrupting their conversation.

And Zagpeace turned around in surprise.

“Kamiel is alive! You abandoned him at the Fort, you bastard!” Kors was shaking with rage, and he looked at Zagpeace with undisguised hatred.

“Kors, I don’t understand you,” Zagpeace said, trying to keep his composure. “I don’t understand, are you accusing me of something now?”

“Yes, you liar!”

“What have you said?”

Kors watched as Zagpeace’s face slowly faded from the feigned calm that he was able to maintain at the moment only by virtue of a habit trained over years.

“Varakh is alive!”

“It doesn’t concern you, disgraced black,” Zagpeace said harshly, “I won’t even talk to you. This is below my dignity! You are dirt!” And the embittered harshness of these words didn’t match the indifferent expression of his face, betraying true emotions.

“You’re a vile liar!” Kors, in his fury, seemed not to hear the insults. “How could you do that?!”

“Vitor Kors, you have long ago let the last shreds of your reputation go astray! I’m not going to explain anything to you, let alone make excuses! I won’t even talk to you anymore!” Zagpeace finally shouted, unable to stand it and completely discarding decency and memorized pose.

“You left him alone! Do you know where he is now by your grace?! Peace, you will answer for this!”

“Vitor, go upstairs!” Nik intervened.

But Kors tried to pounce on Zagpeace:

“I’ll kill you!” He drew his sword.

Nik quickly rushed to him, standing between them, and, looking straight at Kors, slowly said:

“Go. Up. Immediately! I said get out!” And his voice was terrible. It’s good that he stood with his back to Zagpeace, and he didn’t see his changed face and eyes. Kors lowered his weapon hand. He was shaking, but in obedience to the order he bowed his head, and, turning away from them, went to the stairs and began to climb it on unbending legs.

Zagpeace seemed taken aback himself — both from the voice of Nik, a minute ago so sweet and like a girl, and from the fact that Kors obeyed his son. He looked at Nik somehow differently:

“You don’t have to be so rude to your father. Whatever he is, he is your father,” he remarked. “Yes, Kors treated you harshly, I understand, but don’t descend to his level.”

“Descend? Fuck, I will never rise to his level! He’s the master!” Nik snapped sharply, and his lips twisted into an evil and bad grin.

Peace recoiled from him:

“What you sow, you will reap,” he whispered.

“Let’s talk in the city, okay? If you still want,” and Nik, as quickly as he could, began to climb the stairs after Kors.

And Zagpeace remained standing:

“Did Varakh tell me the truth?” he seemed to ask himself and looked in confusion at the white cardboard rectangle left lying on the table. Zagpeace reached out to it, obviously intending to take back the business card, but his hand froze. For a moment he hesitated, thinking. Finally, as if with some effort, he withdrew his fingers and without taking the pass, he quickly left the living room.