Magum Imperatoria, Part Eight

I was having dinner with my parents when Matteson called. The phone ringing caught us all off guard, my friends were so used to not calling at this time on Saturdays that I hadn’t bothered silencing my phone in months. I checked the screen and, seeing it was Matteson and realizing he probably didn’t know that this affair isn’t really meant to be interrupted, I asked leave of my parents to answer. But they were very curious about this man they hadn’t yet met, so they insisted I take the call there.

“Good evening,” I said, answering.

“Hey, I know you said you were doing something tonight, is this a good time?” he asked. Seemed to me like the sort of question that would have been better as a text message.

“Only if it is very important.” He sounded a little bit off, and I suspected he’d been drinking, but was not about to say that in present company.

“Well, okay, I guess that depends on how much weight you put on Valentine’s Day.”

“I suppose that depends on what you’re planning to do instead.”

“I’ve been hired to go do some work for a Michael Hudson in England. It’s a…magic thing. I don’t know all the details yet.”

“Michael Hudson? John, are you doing work for the estate of Lord Hudson?” I asked, looking at my parents. They perked up at the name.

“Uh, yeah. You know much about lords and shit?”

“Well, some. But the Hudsons are of particular interest, being that Michael is my cousin.”

“Is every rich person related?”

“We happen to be. Listen, John, I actually think I have something for them, right?” I looked to my father, who nodded and called Mary over.

“Be a dear and fetch the box labeled ‘Hudson’ in the foyer closet,” he said. Mary nodded and slipped out of the room as he turned his attention back to me. “If you’re going to visit you must return it.”

“What’s going on there?” Matteson asked.

“Well, last time they visited, which was probably a decade ago now that I think about it, they left a couple things behind and we all agreed it would be better to hand deliver it than deal with postage. But then we never really got together again, you see. So I should bring it along.”

“You…what?”

“John, you don’t know the first thing about dealing with the nobility, and I haven’t seen my cousin in years, and I’m certain they’re sending a plane so it will be no bother adding one more person. Besides,” I said, leaning back in my seat, “it would be nice to be in the same country as my boyfriend for Valentine’s, don’t you think?”

“Okay, okay, fine. I’ll have to tell Benedict.”

“Who’s Benedict?”

“The priest. I wasn’t going alone.”

“You’re taking a priest?”

“More like a priest is taking me. Us. Anyway, okay, then, I guess I better get you the flight info as soon as I have it.”

“That would be splendid, thank you. I should get back to dinner now, though.”

“Well that sounds like it’ll be a fun trip!” my mother said, as soon as I was off the phone. “You’ll have to give them our best when you get there.” Mary entered with the box, which was set on an open chair next to me.

“Now, you take this back to your place tonight,” father said after he’d dismissed Mary, “and make sure you take good care of it. I’m sure they’ll be thrilled to see you all grown up. In the meantime, maybe put your phone on silent?”

​I nodded, changed the phone volume, and we went back to dinner.

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