John Galahad
The machine started slowly trickling coffee into an ivory cup. "And that's how you make coffee." I said. "This should be the last appliance in the house, any questions?"
"Wow, I never thought that it would be this easy. The person that created this marvelous contraption must have been an artificer of the highest caliber." Elizabeth said, then looked at the cup of fresh coffee. "Can I have it? I have never tried coffee before. Is it good?"
"This machine is a state of the art masterpiece indeed, as for the coffee… Well, it's a matter of perspective." I answered. "Coffee is bitter and slightly sour, but its taste is also deep and profound when you get used to it. Although, for a beginner like yourself, I'd recommend adding some sugar and cream. It will soften the flavor. Oh, one more thing…" I stopped, not knowing what this girl knows and what she doesn't. "Do you know what caffeine is?" I asked.
"I don't." She admitted. "Is it tasty? Oh, I get it, it must be something that pairs well with coffee, right?"
"Not exactly, it's something that is in the coffee already and, when drunk, gives you energy and stops you from getting to sleep. If you're new to coffee, I'd recommend not drinking it tonight and just making yourself a cup tomorrow morning." I said.
"I see, It's a shame that we'll have to throw this cup out then…"
"Oh no, no matter how rich I am or might ever become, coffee is the one thing that I'll never allow to throw out. I'll drink it." I said.
"But you won't be able to sleep then." Elizabeth protested.
"There's no need to worry, over the years, I've built up a solid caffeine tolerance, making me basically impervious to this stuff's effects."
"Really? I never knew that you were a master of such grandeur." The redhead said, admiration evident in her eyes."
"Well, the downside is that I can barely function without this stuff now." I admitted. Why does this girl appreciate my coffee addiction more than my truly expansive wealth?
"Then you must be like Adam, yes?" She asked.
So she already knows? Wait, does that mean that there are more people like me - people turned and healed by Adam? "Yes, you could say that…"
"Adam also barely functions without something called cyanide, which is a bit toxic, if I'm not mistaken." She said.
A bit? It's far more toxic than merely a bit. "Hey, just how much of it does he ingest on a daily basis?" I asked.
"I'm not sure, he used to eat it like bread, but recently, he cut back to a few cups or so. He says that his pain became a bit more bearable, so he doesn't need as much anymore."
So he really is immortal. Wait, does that mean that I became immortal as well? What about the pain? Is it a side effect of some sort that will rear its ugly head in my future as well? "Young mis, can you tell me a bit about Adam's pain?" I asked. "Is it a physical condition?"
"From my understanding, it's not." She said and I was immediately relieved. "He told me that most of whom he cared about are long gone, and the various poisons that he ingests simply help him to forget."
So the demon is a drug addict. What about the rest? After talking with the mis for quite some time, I got comfortable enough to ask. "I've been wondering, young mis, you aren't human, are you?" She recoiled.
"What are you doing here?" A familiar voice boomed behind me - a voice filled with fury and malice, a voice as cold as ice.
I wanted to turn back, but couldn't, a cold sweat covered my body. The malice and killing intent of mis Pain paled in comparison to the feeling that I felt now. I was in the lion's den and the lion had just returned and saw me playing with its cubs.
"Answer me, old man, who gave you the permission to be here?" The voice asked.
Was he always this scary? Did I simply not notice or did he hide this pressure from me? I opened my mouth but made no sound. Who was I kidding thinking that now I was invincible? What was I thinking when I decided to come to this place?
"Adam, stop!" Elizabeth demanded. "I invited mister John to stay while he was waiting for your return. He was even nice enough to bring you a gift and teach me how to operate this marvelous contraption and many more." She pointed to the coffee machine.
Silence. The longest seconds in my life, then the pressure evaporated. "You brought gifts?" The voice behind me sounded intrigued.
"Yes, it's not a lot, but I hope that…" I turned around while speaking, but stopped when my eyes landed on Adam's face - the face of no more than an eighteen year old. I was momentarily speechless.
"The gifts?" Adam asked again. "Where?"
"Oh, right…" I regained my senses, opened my wallet and retrieved an obsidian-black credit card. "This is a tiny thank you gift. I figured that since you're new here, you might need some pocket change. This card had ten million USD on it."
"The pressure appeared again, this time ten times as powerful. "Do you really think that mere ten million is enough to pay back the debt that we agreed on?"
"No, no, this is a bonus!" I pleaded. there's no need to worry, I'll help you with what you asked for, this is merely a housewarming gift!"
Adam's eyes locked onto mine, then the pressure disappeared again. "OK, you wanna stay for dinner? Since we have some money now, we might as well go for some takeout." He said, completely relaxed.
"I appreciate the offer, but I shouldn't intrude." I said heading for the door.
"Wait, mister John, You wouldn't be intruding." Elizabeth said. "Besides, I'd love to properly thank you for all your help today, so please, won't you stay?"
I looked at the pleading Elizabeth, at the indifferent Adam and the rest that were still playing and decided. The young mis has considerable sway over Adam, therefore if I'm able to befriend her, my safety is almost guaranteed. "Very well, young mis, I'll stay." I said.
"Great!"
Since no one but me had a phone, I was the one to order and, since no one but me had any cash, I was the one to pay the currier. We had Chinese and the order was truly massive. It was entertaining to see how the others were failing to grasp the concept of chopsticks, with the last to learn being Adam.
I haven't eaten Chinese takeout for decades, so I didn't really know what to choose, but the food was delicious, maybe in part that I was eating it with someone that wasn't there to suck up to me in order to get something from me. It felt like how it was 40 years ago, when I still had nothing - just a house, wife and a daughter. I had nothing, but, now that I think of it, it was far more valuable than what I have now.
After I started my own company, I had no more time to spend with them. I was too busy to attend any one of my daughter's performances, I even skipped her graduation. I never witnessed my wife's final moments because of a major work meeting. I grew distant from my daughter. Before I knew it, she got married, had a kid and followed my wife's footsteps.
That was my breaking point, my granddaughter was the only one left, so I made sure to spend as much time as possible with her. I even gave her father a major role in the Galahad corporation, just to have her near me. Just as I thought that everything was going to be okay, I got sick and hospitalized. It was so unfair, I was finally going to focus on what's really important, to make up for the lost time, but everything was about to be taken away from me.
My Granddaughter and that damned assistant of mine were the only people close to me when I was dying and I took solace in the fact that I could see her at least a few more times before my demise.
But this being - the being that calls itself Adam - he has the power to shake the world, but while still so young, he knows what's important in life. I was a fool to ignore my family for the company, but Adam has given me a second chance and I will use it.
After dinner, Adam called me to a different room to talk over the details of our deal. "The family I'm after is the Long family." He said. "Have you ever heard of them?"
"Yes, they're a massive player in the real estate business of LA." I answered.
"Can you take them down?"
"Easily. Shorting their company stock, robbing them of their talents, offering dirt cheap competitive prices, hacking their servers and deleting all their documents and data is all within my reach. Say the word and they're going under." I said.
"In other words, no means are too low for you…"
"I am a successful businessman, do you think that morals and ethics is what made me successful?"
"If it works, it works, I guess." Adam said. "I haven't decided whether they fall or not yet, I'll inform you when I reach my decision, there is one more pressing matter that I need to discuss with you - the girls."
"They aren't here legally, right?"
"Yeah, get them fake IDs."
"That wouldn't be a problem, but… The ears."
"They have special amulets that warp light in a way to make them look like any old human that they wear when going out, so that won't be a problem." Adam said.
"Magic - I presume?"
"Illusion magic to be precise."
"I see." I said. "One more thing, what made you decide to go after the Long family?"
"A friend of mine that belonged to that family asked me to do it."
"Was he like you?"
"He was the one that created me."
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