For Lilian and the Indigos - Above Top Secret

Chapter 12
Lil’s house was very Japanese in design. Built as a platform with bamboo-and-rice-paper
bungalows scattered around a central garden that sported a section of raked rocks, a koi
pond, and a no stage (which often had a holographic play being performed upon it, but
was tonight filled with tables laid with decks of cards and scoring pads). Her house, too,
floated in the sky, domed with energy to protect from the elements, and from what I
could gather, we were above Hawaii. Nearby boiled a caldera of steam and lava.
Beyond that, the island spread out on a sapphire sea.
Lanterns of paper lit the area, with a musky incense burning somewhere, kissing the air
with hints of exotic florals and woods. From somewhere came the soft strains of
traditional Japanese music, plucking softly at the corners of awareness. Maybe a dozen
people sat or stood on the stage, chatting and nibbling the rice crackers, sushi, and ginger
placed about on low black tables, passing pipes of weed, or sipping a sweet golden plum
wine or hot green tea.
Lil was heading towards us with arms open in welcome. She hugged each of us in turn,
taking my hand and leading the two of us up to the stage. Nassim waved from a
discussion he seemed deep into with a bearded gentleman. I recognized Chef Allouba,
and Cheyenne Dutch, a mutual friend of Lil’s and mine. The rest I had not yet met, and
Lil took us around making introductions. The bearded man turned out to be Uncle Grant,
a physicist Nassim worked with.
After mingling and meeting a few others who came after us, we sat down to play Hearts
or Spades or Rummy – table’s choice. Many loved these games of Old and such
gatherings were not uncommon. We played through the night, discussing Amelia and all
for much of the night after I mentioned the diary. As the night wore on, the numbers
dwindled and tables consolidated. Finally, as the night wound down, Lee and I thanked
Lil and hugged our old and new friends, saying our goodbyes, and headed for the J.D.
When we got home, Lee and I were too tired for anything but sleep. Shedding clothes,
pausing only for mouth cleaning, and into the sheets we crashed. With sleepy murmurs
we entangled ourselves and fell asleep in one another’s arms.
In the morning we made love, spending the pent up passion of the previous evening.
When the last spark had burst, we lay softly stroking each other’s face and arms, looking
deeply into the other’s eyes.
“I have to check my email,” I explained as I finally got up. “I have a couple of people
interested in my latest painting and I want to see if they have gotten back to me. I must
decide which one to give it to.”
Lee nodded lazily from the bed. “Shall we finish the diary when you’re done?”