The Lord of the Binge: Fellowship of the Binge. Additional material for Chapter 8 “Friends in high places” “The Rooftop interview” written by Alden. Reviewed and approved by Kuga. LOTB (c) Kuga 2003. Blue curled up as best he could under the shelter of an inadequate tarp on the roof of Alden’s tower. It was raining, a hard, driving monsoonal downpour. The drops bit hard into his scales, and the chill after the hot sun made him shiver. He was hoping Roddy would come and visit him again soon. The love and caring he felt from the large young catmunk eased the pain of his captivity. Plus, the food he brought or conjured up went down well. In fact, he was sure he had put on some weight. The rain went on and on, thunder booming, lightning flashing, and wind blowing hard. Blue was completely miserable, wet, cold, and hungry. Suddenly, the rain stopped falling on the roof. The storm did not abate, but, somehow, the rain and wind was being diverted. The puddles soon dried up under a gust of warm air. Blue looked around. He could feel magic at work, powerful magic. Then, the door swung open with a crash. Alden stood there, looking tall, imposing and terrifying. “Time for another interview, wyrmling!” he roared. Turning to the door, he pointed, and it slammed shut. Blue could glimpse the guards jumping back as the door slammed in their faces. Alden maintained his imposing stature for a few seconds, and then settled down. He conjured up a stool for him to sit on, and a bench for Blue. “We need to talk, oh padawan.” he said in a mild tone. Surprised, Blue sat. “Why the change?” he asked, settling his wings. Despite Roddy’s caring ministrations, they still ached. “Blue, you were one of my finest students. Your aptitude rivals mine, but… you have your foolish notions about humanity and furs. You want to help them, for no return. You have your snug little hole in Dartmouth, and are content to just exist, not taking your birthright. “With your power, you can RULE, not serve!” Alden said in a scornful tone. Blue settled down and looked back at Alden calmly. “It is what I choose to do. Doing what I do makes me happy.” Alden shrugs. “I can’t help you if you wish to be a fool, then. Just tell me one thing… where is the One Cake?” Blue tried a bluff, trying hard not to even think about it. “What would you want to do with it, if you had it?” “Why, use it to control the population, of course! They will have to come to ME to get their doses of the cake, and they will do whatever I say to get their fix!” Alden replies with a smile. “But, how will you produce enough? According to myth, the One Cake is a small thing!” “But, I’ll feed a piece to Roddy first! He can duplicate ANYTHING he has ever cooked or eaten. Once he has eaten some, he will be able to make as much of it as I ask him to!” “But, won’t he get fatter than he is now?” “More than likely. He likes being fat, so, I’ll let him fatten and fatten till he’s too big to move.” He said with a grin that told Blue he’d long being planning something like this, because he rattled it off so quickly it sounded like he was desperate to do just that – but to his own son? Then, I’ll care well for him as he makes more copies of the One Cake.” Alden suddenly looked… softer. “He is my son. I want him happy. He’s so smart and gentle. But so FAT…” he almost spits. “Nothing wrong with being fat, if you choose to be, Master Alden.” Blue said, hardly realizing he was returning to his old ways when he was a student of Alden’s, many a year ago. Alden settled down on his stool and sighed, he looked down at the floor, gazing. “I was a fat little kitten, true. But, I decided to get fit, so my stretching will be under my control!” he said, as if saying he was fat was his weakness that he didn’t want revealed, and that saying he was now fit and able was his strength, and covered his weakness well. “Tea?” “Hot chocolate wouldn’t be bad in this lovely season.” Blue replied. Alden conjured up two steaming mugs and passed Blue one.  Blue took it.  Alden seemed almost amicably, as if all the trouble they were going through weren’t there, as if they were the friends again that they once were.  It was regrettable.  But they had moved on, and right now, Blue had to move on, for Ben’s sake, for everyone’s sake. While the two sipped, Blue thought fast. Apparently, Alden had got his information wrong. The One Cake would eventually consume Roddy’s will, making the innocent catmunk very fat and very evil. It would be possible that Roddy would even turn on his father. Blue came to a decision. “You love your son, don’t you?” he asked. Alden nodded slowly. “Very much so. I take great pains not to show him all that I do, or manage to convince him that I am as good as I was before.” He shrank a bit in guilt, in the kind of a guilt one gets one they know they are getting away with something they shouldn’t be, and no one knows.  If Roddy did know, he’d hurt him, THAT would hurt Alden back, maybe more than he could bare. And Blue knew it. “He is so innocent, and I find I like him better that way. Plus, he is so smart.” He added proudly.  “Smarter than I am, in fact. Plus, so gentle and kind.” Alden sniffs a little. The sniffle surprised Blue a little. For a brief instant, he saw the wise, gentle teacher of his youth, teaching him the fundamentals of magic. “You’re so very lucky to have such a kind and gentle son, Master Alden. Why did you keep him hidden?” In gentle tones that reflected the love he felt, Alden said, “I didn’t want him to know all that I am up to, the world is a cruel place, I couldn’t have the world blacken him. Besides, he can never be a true wizard. His magics are limited. He did not want to hang around other wizards, even ones in training. He has other interests.” He gritted his teeth a bit “like eating.” Alden smiled though. “Would you believe he is a wonder in the science labs? He designed all my computer control systems that I use to maintain and expand my empire. He’s a genius.” He smiled as a proud father only could, and gazed up now, imagining possibilities. “That he is, Master Alden, as well as being so kind and generous.” Blue added. ‘Unlike you are now…’ he added mentally. Alden smiled. A glint in his eyes showed that the malice was returning. “I know Roddy comes up here sometimes to care for you. Seeing as he wanted to, I won’t stop him. “However, I don’t want you turning him against me, or altering his feelings one iota. He is perfect the way he is, he is my son, and I will be quite angry if he is changed. Do you understand, padawan?” Blue nodded.  He had never really liked being called padawan, it put him as the underdog, the sibling.  “I understand, Alden.” He stripped ‘master’ from his sentence to emphasize his old hate for Alden’s ability to put himself above others.  “I will do nothing to jeopardize his health, or his mental health. This, I promise.” he said solemnly. The cat stood up, looking down at Blue. “You know, I believe you. Don’t abuse the privilege.  Or you’ll regret ever deciding to take another breath in to that beast of a body of yours!” Blue’s eyes became infuriated with wrath – Alden had insulted him and his species.  His eyes shot wide open and he clenched his fists and teeth, but he held his temper.  In that moment, he refused to become what Alden was – someone who chose poorly. With a gesture, the door flew open. Alden strode out with nary a backward look, the door slamming shut. Blue looked around. The storm still swirled and howled, but the anti-storm spell still held, keeping him warm and dry.  He stood for a moment, letting his rage seep in to the wind.  He relaxed.  “So after all Master, you do have a weakness.” Not wanting to watch the devastation Alden’s ‘empire’ was wreaking on his own country, Blue went back to the bench to recover his strength. He stretched out on the bench, propping his chin on the stool Alden used. ‘There still is hope for that old cat.’ he mused. ‘He still cares, but has some convincing to do.’ His mind drifted to the companions he had left trekking through the English countryside. “May they be up to the task.  May I be up to the task.’  Blue thought, breathing lightly, watching the storm clouds dance and blow.