The Beau & the Beast

44 - Cigar smoke

~ Clocksworth ~

The air was so abnormally fresh out here in the countryside , almost disgustingly healthy. 

I laughed to myself when I thought of all the hipsters in New York who would love this place.  Personally, I longed to return to filthy alleys and dark clubs that served bad whiskey and played music with bad speakers that cut into my ears.

What the hell was I doing? Belmont's words swirled in my head "You have started a revolution darling, the little people want a new leader, they want you."

Hell, all I wanted was to see Belmont happy again.  Instead, we've started the biggest war ever.

"Why so depressed ?"

I lifted my head and looked at Lumiere who stepped out of the castle gate behind me. "Depressed is not the right word."

"You should be happy with yourself, you have come a long way."

I laughed at him bitterly, "How can I be happy? This is not what I wanted."

Lumiere sat down next to me on the stone steps and put his arm around my shoulders. "But you feel happier."

"Maybe."

He nodded, "Not long ago you drank two bottles of whiskey a day, I've barely seen you take a single glass."

I shrugged, "And?"

"You took some heavy drugs for a while."

I bit my lip and nodded, "Anthony sent me on pretty heavy jobs for a while."  I countered.

He sighed, "I don't  blame you my friend, I'm trying to understand who you are."

I took a cigar out of my inside pocket and rolled it between my thumb and forefinger. "It sounds cliché, but I've got a meaning to life."

"Taking over after Anthony?"

To his great surprise, I shook my head before lighting the cigar. "Live in peace and quiet and make Bel happy."

He raised an eyebrow and looked almost shocked.  "Who are you and what have you done with Clocksworth?"  He muttered with narrowing eyes.

I tapped myself in the chest and grinned, "He's in here, but I'm only taking him out in emergencies."

"Good."  He said and inspected me, "So you love him."

"Yes."

He sighed, "That, if anything is a good reason to fight? When this is over you can live in peace with him."

I laughed out loud at that comment. "Do you seriously believe that there will ever be peace in our world? If we win, everyone will come to me and demand that I become some kind of leader. I hardly believe that life will be calm. "

He sat quietly for a while but then he turned to me and put a hand on my knee.  "So give that responsibility to me."

I raised an eyebrow, "Do you want it?"

He smiled slyly and looked down, "During all the years as Anthony's slave, I dreamed of the day he died and I would take over after him."

"Then came Bel."  I filled in and saw flames in his eyes.

"Yes, then Belmont came and took my place." His voice dripped with hatred for a few seconds before finding his way back to himself. "A question."
I took a deep throat flare from the cigar and let out a thick cloud of smoke while I glanced at him from the corner of my eye and waited for him to continue.
"Was it a spontaneous event or did you plan to turn him?"  He was silent for a while as if searching for the right word, "for, for my sake?"