Chapter 10

THE CRUCIBLE

The First Test

         The trip to the undersea kingdom was a complete success both diplomatically and as a pleasure trip. Queen Jennifer had been overjoyed to see Justin again who had been given up for dead, and even more delighted to see he had come to his senses and married a handsome merman to boot. All in attendance were astonished when it was explained that this was Brian, the land dweller and that both of them could now exist both on land and in water. Brian was graciously welcomed and invited back any time and in return, Brian promised to create an accessible habitat for any mer-person who wanted to visit. In addition he had promised to split the throne room in half and create a watery half with tunnels that led to the sea for easy access. There was much joy and undersea singing and dancing and acrobatics and feasting that went on for seven days straight. And no contests. (wink)

          It was during this period that Justin sang his birthday song for Brian in his alto voice. His real voice. Brian listened, mesmerized. His heart overflowed with love, more than he thought was possible.

         Afterward, Justin approached him and asked shyly, "Well?"

         Brian smiled back and said, "No contest." He grabbed him and bent him back in a deep dip and deep kiss that just kept turning, turning, 360 degrees around. Everyone in attendance cheered wildly.

            After a nice visit at the mer-city, they had waved good bye and departed back toward Liberty Kingdom at a leisurely pace. They made good on the second part of their plan and swam the ocean aimlessly, sleeping in sea caves and anemone forests and islands that had never before seen a footprint of man. And everywhere they chose to rest, they made wild, passionate love.

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         About a month after they got home from their honeymoon, Brian talked it over with Justin and together they went to the orphanage (in fact it was the very same orphanage that the proceeds from the dance contest had gone to) and they went and picked out a baby boy to adopt, just as Brian had suggested on the ship. Justin asked if they could name him Gus, after his very dear friend and Brian readily agreed. They adored having him around and taking care of him so much that 2 months after that, Brian went to Justin to ask if they might go and choose another one. They were both astonished and delighted when they found each other (well more than usual) because it turned out Justin was looking to find Brian to ask him the very same thing.

         This time they saw a 3 month old baby girl who had been left on the orphanage's doorstep as a newborn with a note explaining that her mother was only a teen and the father had run off with a carnival to be with the bearded lady.

         The baby girl was tiny and perfect and pink with dark hair, ruby red lips and skin that promised to be white as snow. They loved her at first sight.

         They took her home and called her Jennifer Rebecca. Jennifer after Justin's mother and Rebecca after Brian's great grandmother on his mother's side. They took to calling her JR for short.

         It was just over a month after that, about two months ago that Brian and Justin had gone into town on one of their motorcycle rides. They stopped over at the Debbie's Diner. They were about to go inside when they heard a "pssst" from the alley. They went to investigate, their guard up but all they found was a stick thin young man sitting there in the filth. He had greasy, matted hair and sores on his mouth.

         "Fifty to blow you. A hundred and I'll let you fuck me," he said in a voice to break your heart.

         Brian stood over him, all leather, gauntleted hands on his hips, goggles down and stared down at him. The young man stared back into the midnight eyes, and cowered back. He knew the leather man was going to fuck him hard, even simulated rape him. He watched the goggles and waited but where Justin saw love and eroticism, the young man only saw fear and the promise of pain. He looked deeper and deeper into the darkness and he couldn't look away. And then the darkness was filling him up and his eyes glazed over and he felt that familiar sense of separation and watched his body from inside his mind waiting for the black man to flip him over and hurt him so he could get something to eat. The blackness was so cold and the deeper he stared the colder it was.

         Brian had a flash of memory of Michael's fear filled face as he cowered back in the bed when his deception had been discovered. It had been too late for him but...

         Brian looked over at Justin. "What do you think?"

         "Definitely," answered Justin.

         Even though Brian looked away, the young man's gaze remained fixed, frozen. He saw only the blackness and it was the blackness of his own soul. Part of him heard them though. They were going to fuck him. Hard. The leatherman had done something. He couldn't move. He couldn't resist. A tear trickled slowly down his cheek.

         Brian turned back to the kid. "How much to buy you something to eat?" he asked.

         The skinny kid just stared, frozen.

         Brian passed a gloved hand in front of his eyes a few times. There was no response.

         "Kid!!" Brian said sharply. He snapped he fingers near the kid's ear. "Wake up!"

         The kid's eyes came back into focus. "Fifty and I'll blow you. A hundred and I'll let you fuck me."

         "How much to buy you something to eat?"

         "Fifty and I'll blow...what?" No-one had ever asked him that before! His thoughts derailed a bit. "What?" he asked again, stupidly.

         Justin stepped forward and held out his hand. "Take my hand and come with us into the Diner," he said kindly. "We are going to buy you dinner."

         "What's the catch? I don't top and I don't do threesomes! It's him or nothin'!" the skinny kid said sharply. He needed to get that out there before he fell back into that strange trance again. He looked up at Brian's goggles and felt himself start to slip again. He shook himself and shuddered. His eyes darted shiftily from side to side.

         Justin stared at him, catching his gaze. Just like Brian's, the kid's gaze was caught and this time he was startled by what he saw. Warmth. Love. Peace. He had never seen that before in a trick's eyes and he figured he never would again. He didn't want to let that go.

         "Who - who are you?" he asked meekly.

         "Rise and come with us," Justin said again with quiet authority and this time the kid reached up and grasped Justin's hand. He allowed himself to be pulled to his feet and led into the diner.

         And that's how it started. They fed him and asked him his name.

         "What do you want it to be?" he answered coyly, on automatic.

         Brian had removed his goggles. They both stared at him from across the booth impassively.

         "Fine!" he huffed. It's Hunter! OK?? My name is Hunter."

         Hunter ate three burger plates with fries and onion rings and two chocolate milkshakes. Then they ordered a salad and made him eat that too. He drank an orange juice and then a glass of milk and sat back. He was full at last He closed his eyes and enjoyed it. He had forgotten what it was like to be full.

         Brian and Justin waited.

         Finally, Hunter sat up. "So what's the catch?" he asked again. "Does one of you like to watch or what? Make up your mind because I charge by the hour and the meter's running."

         Brian just turned to Justin and asked, "What do you think?"

         "Definitely. But he is not ready. He should be cleaned and tested first."

         "Hey! I don't have any diseases! Well, at least...I don't think so. I - well, ok you can test me. Will it hurt?"

         Justin turned to Hunter at last, and gave a musical laugh. "No Hunter, it will not hurt. It is not that kind of test. Although, later, if you are still worried about we can test you for such things. You see, we wish to become your benefactors. We will provide you with a job and boarding and if you grow in maturity and wisdom we shall offer you a reward. Or you can go back to the alley from whence we picked you up. What is your decision?"

         "Benefactors? What does that mean? What reward? And what kind of job? I'm not into getting pimped out! I'm my own man!" Hunter said.

         "You are assertive. That is well. As for the job, we can arrange it so that you can work here. The reward is to remain secret, a surprise. If you can pass the test of honesty, morality, and loyalty that we will present to you, you will find out what it is. What is your decision?"

         "I will accept. But I still don't understand. And good luck getting anyone to hire me! And what tests? Are they multiple choice?"

         "The tests will be presented in due time. You will not know when they will be presented to you so be aware and ready at all times. As for the job, we know the person who runs the place. Hey, Deb!" Brian yelled.

         Deb came skating over.  I gotta diner to run! Whaddya want, Kinney!?"

         "This is Hunter. I want you do give him a job and clean him up and let him stay somewhere until we come for him."

         "Hmmph!! I'm not in the habit of taking charity cases, Bri - uh..Kinney!" she changed at Brian's imperceptible shake of his head.

         "I want you to do this as a favor to us. I want you to do it...for Michael's sake. As if...as if he asked you to do it for him."

         Hunter was astonished to see the woman mist up and almost start crying. "Well...all right! For Michael! But that's the one and only time you get to pull that, you hear me Kinney!" she admonished. She looked Hunter over. "Well, come on you, you can start off as busboy! And you'll have to have a thorough cleaning before you work! Can you roller skate?"

         "I don't know. I never tried. Probably not." His face fell. "But I'll learn. I learn real good!"

         "You learn well," Justin admonished gently, "All right, Hunter, we must be off! But we will come again soon and send you clothes at dawn's light. Be well, and be watchful as the tests may be at any time."

         "I - I don't understand! Who are you guys! What are you doing this?"

         "But they only got up do leave and would not identify themselves.  At the door, Brian turned back and looked at the young man somberly, "You remind me of a friend," he said simply, "Do not waste this opportunity for it will not be repeated."

         With that, he left and they were gone.

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         And that was the beginning of it. Deb showed him to a back room where there was a tub and left him in there with a Diner uniform. After what seemed like ages, he emerged, dressed in it and clean, really clean for the first time in a long time. His hair was sleek and shiny but still had to be put in a hairnet. He worked his ass off until they closed and then Debbie took him home to the village and let him stay in her son's old bedroom. But she warned him to expect to get up at dawn's light, so go to bed as soon as possible.

         It was just as well. Hunter was bone tired.

         The next day he did it all again. And the next day. And the next day. He worked hard. He was clean. He was honest and didn't give Debbie cause to throw him out.

         Every day, two enormously fat men who were twins would come in for lunch. They tipped well and were otherwise very loud and jolly.

         Every second day, Brian or Justin, or both of them would come in and Hunter would get permission to be on break so he could talk to them.  They talked about anything and everything from the weather to sports to why Hunter had become a hustler even though he was straight. They lived up to their promises as benefactors and sent him clothes, and food when they visited and a small allowance to tide him over when he was waiting for his next paycheck. But they would never tell him who they were.

         One day, about a week into his job, the fat twins left laughing and slapping each boisterously as usual. Hunter went to clean up their table and his eye fell onto the tip they had left. It was a stack of bills at least 2 inches high so at first Hunter thought they had cleaned out their wallets of all their small bills. But then he looked more carefully and his eyes bugged out.

         Each bill was a thousand Liberty dollars! There was more than 10! More than 20! Hunter counted them out carefully and saw it was a stack of 50,000 Liberty bucks!

         A dark angel nestled into his heart. No-one had seen this money yet. He could just fold it up, slip it into his apron pocket and keep it. No one would ever know. He could take it, buy something really nice, just for him...

         A pair of too-blue eyes filled with disappointment filled his mind. What if he found out? What if the one Deb called Kinney found out?  Hunter shuddered. They were being so nice to him, how could he hide something this big from them? Hunter wasn't sure he was that good of a liar. He glanced out the window and saw the twins slowly heading down the street back to their box factory. They were so jolly and nice to him. They tipped well enough. Could he look them in the eye ever again if he paid them such evil?

         Suddenly, Hunter was on his feet and skating toward the door. "I'll be right back, Debbie!" he screamed.

         "All right, all right, I hear you! No need to scream about it!" Debbie screamed back.

         Hunter skated quickly but inexpertly toward the twins. "Mr Fred! Mr Red! Wait! Please wait! Please...heeeeellp!!" he grabbed onto them to stop.

         "What is it, Hunter?" Fred asked.

         "I found this! I thought it was a tip! But it must be a mistake! It must be! And besides, I cannot take anything so large from you." Hunter handed them the wad of money.

         Fred cuffed his brother. "Red, your head could come screwed clean off!" he admonished.

         "So Hunter? Is it just us you could not steal from? Or anyone?" Fred asked.

         "I don't know. I mean, especially not from you but...no, not any more. I don't think I could keep something like that from anybody. Besides what if my benefactors found out? I'd never be able to make it up to them."

         "Is that the only reason? Fear of being found out?" asked Red.

         Hunter thought about it. No, not really. My benefactors give me everything I need or want anyway. I don't have to scrounge or steal anymore," he realized, "And...and I don't want to either! I never did! Not really! I just did it when I was hungry sometimes. But I'm never hungry now. So I never have to steal again! I never have to and never will!" He smiled up at the two jolly men in true happiness.

          The twin men crushed him between them. "Congratulations, young man. You have learned a valuable lesson and have passed the test of honesty!"

         "I did? That was the test!?"

         It certainly was! We'll be -"

         "Hunter! Hunter, where are ya, boy!?"

         "Uh oh! That's Debbie! I'd better go! See you tomorrow!" Hunter skated off.

         Hunter! Where are you - Oh there you are! I'm not paying you to goof off!" she snarked.

         "You're barely paying me at all," he snarked right back as he ducked back into the Diner.

         She cuffed him lovingly as he ducked back inside.