NOVEL WEB Pull 38 Llama
“Where are we going?” Eins padded along next to Tasha.
Tasha waved towards the center of town. “To the center of the Town. I have some business to take care of. Then we can look for your… owners? Traveling companions?”
“Friends.”
The city of Kaseihgaeu was built on a hill. Each of the four main streets arced away from the four main gates and spiraled towards the hill at the center. The wealthiest townhomes and hotels were built into the sides of these curling streets. Smaller alleys and cross streets branched off from these main paths like the veins of a leaf.
Tasha popped a side panel on her travel cosmetics case. She began massaging some compound onto her skin. Eins peeked over the top of her cosmetics case.
“What’s that?” Eins asked.
“Foundation.”
“And that?”
“Concealer.” Tasha tied her hair back.
“What is that? It looks like a nail clipper.” Eins inquired.
“It’s for your eyelashes. It’s an eyelash trimmer.”
“It looks like a torture implement.”
“Most beauty products are.”
*Trim*Snip*
Tasha kept walking without looking at the other people on the road.
“Why would you want to trim your eyelashes?” Eins questioned.
“So you can use this.” She held up a new implement. “It’s an eyelash brush.”
“And what does that do?”
Tasha halted. She looked down at Eins. “How do you not know this?”
“Hmmm?” Eins tilted its head.
“You said that you were a god. Aren’t you like a million years old? Shouldn’t you be all knowing or something?“ Tasha briefly jazzed her hands in the air.
“I knooow…” Eins hid its face with its paws. “The truth is I haven’t been around people… recently.” Eins started pacing in a circle. “It’s hard to keep up with changes in human culture. There are so many of you. And you’re all so busy all the time. People have big expectations about gods and what they’re supposed to do. I want to help. I really do. But I don’t want to get things wrong. I don’t want to make any mistakes.”
“You get nervous around new people. Is that it?” said Tasha.
“That’s right.” said Eins.
“I wouldn’t know anything about that.” she stated.
“Oh…”
Tasha put away her eyelash brush. “But, it is hard meeting expectations. People get ideas about how you should behave. Sometimes it’s just easier to keep moving and meet new people instead.”
Eins wagged its tail in understanding. “That’s right. That way you never get too attached to people. And you can never disappoint them.”
“Exactly.” Tasha leaned over and patted Eins on the head.
“It’s so nice to find someone that understands.” Eins colluded.
The two of them smiled at each other for longer than was necessary.
“Speaking of expectations.” Tasha’s eyes flicked left and right. “I’m talking to a dog in the middle of a very busy street. This is, perhaps, not the kind of attention we want to gather.”
Eins shook its head. “Don’t worry. I don’t think anyone is on the lookout for OhNoHide!”
Eins kicked off the ground and headbutted Tasha into a fountain.
*Ker-Splash*
“What was that-”
*Tip*Tap*Tip*Tap*
Tasha and Eins peeked over the edge of the fountain's basin.
#
In the distance a camelid head could be seen over the crowd of people in the street. A large animal strode down the middle of the road at a smooth confident pace. Nearby tourists and travelers parted to either side in the face of the creature’s confidence. Nervous tarpins gave the approaching animal plenty of room.
*Tip*Tap*
The crowd moved out of the way next to the fountain that Tasha and Eins were hiding in. A Llama almost two and a half meters tall paused on the cobblestones. Its fur was a velvety caramel brown. Its toenails were neat. Manicured. A thick bush of hair surrounded its head. A long silk scarf was tied around its waist, around each haunch, and then back up and twice around its neck. It held a wooden pipe between its teeth.
The Llama’s head snapped around.
Eins and Tasha instinctively ducked down into the fountain.
“Hmmm.” The Llama grumbled. With a flick of its lip it pulled the wooden pipe between its rear molars.
*Crunch*
The Llama chewed the pipe like a piece of hard candy.
*Crunch*Crunch*
As the Llama loudly masticated the pipe it scanned the crowd. The tourists avoided eye contact with the creature. A passing City Guard made great effort not to notice that an unrestrained animal was standing in the middle of a busy street.
*Crunch*Gulp* The Llama licked a few lingering splinters out of its teeth.
“Hmmm.” It grumbled again.
An absent-minded tourist stopped next to the Llama. He lit a cigarette with a match.
The Llama turned. It leaned its muzzle down next to the man. The tourist stood perfectly still. The cigarette inches from his mouth. The match paralyzed in his hand. The Llama’s neck blotted out the sun.
“Hmmm.” The Llama’s lips parted ever so slightly.
It plucked the match out of the tourist’s hand. The end of the match *Sizzled* out in the Llama’s mouth. The animal used its tongue to wedge the matchstick into a satisfying position between its teeth, then turned and started walking back up the street.
#
Tasha looked at her face in a hand mirror.
*Deep Breathing*
She sat down hard on the rim of the fountain and started wringing the water out of her hair.
“So are you being chased by that Llama?” she asked.
“No. Probably not. Not me at least.” said Eins.
Eins shook out its fur. Tasha was just inside the splash zone.
*Deeper Breathing*
Tasha finished wringing the water out of her pants.
“That’s it.” she asserted. “I have no more time. I’m late enough as it is.”
“Where are we going?” Eins asked.
“We’re not going anywhere. I have an appointment. I have to change my clothes. Redo my makeup. And I don’t have any more time to spend hiding from strangers, or animals, or strange animals.”
“I don’t think that Llama was looking for us.”
“Either way, why don’t you just stay here.” Tasha patted Eins on the head.
“You don’t want me to come with you?”
Tasha bit her lip. “It’s not that. I have to move fast, and your tiny little legs won’t be able to keep up.”
“Oh.” Eins looked down at its paws. “I see.”
“Yeah.”
Eins furrowed its eyebrows. “But maybe I could keep up… if you carry me?” Eins grinned.
*Deepest Breathing*