Read The Prospects (Short Story): Above the Stars for Free Online Page B

daughter without a daddy. I didn’t reconnect with her until the nineties. She grew into a beautiful willowy thing, smart as a whip.”
    “So she took after her mom.”
    Chak gave Alex a cockeyed look. “She had better taste in men. She married a self-made millionaire named Hiro Takeda.”
    “Takeda. That was the last name of the first MacGuffin victim.”
    “That was my grandson. Their boy had potential, but he ran with rich kids who did anything they wanted when they weren’t in rehab. Wish I could’ve done something for him, like give him some life lessons.”
    Alex pointed at Chak’s bare feet. “People who can’t tie their own shoes shouldn’t give life lessons.”
    “Can you not ride my ass for a minute? I’m trying to make a point.”
    “Fine. What’s your point?”
    “My point is, when I heard my grandson died,” Chak wiped his eyes, “I couldn’t protect someone I cared about. I wanted to prove I wasn’t weak by making someone responsible hurt worse than I did. I’ll bet Qing Long felt the same way.”
    “I get it, this was about avenging your grandson’s death and Qing Long avenging … whatever is in the boat was to him.”
    “Not sure if ‘avenging’ is the right word. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I was face-to-face and alone with those bastards who made the drug. I really thought I’d cut ‘em apart.”
    “And I’d try to stop you but probably would’ve gotten cut apart.”
    “Wouldn’t have happened. I backed down when you were taken hostage, didn’t I? Wouldn’t do that for someone I didn’t like.”
    “You like me? Hate to see how you treat people you hate.”
    “I cut them apart.”
    “Oh, right, yeah.”
    “I’ve met enough people to tell a good one from a bad one from a bad one who thinks he’s a good one. I hated Sergeant Hammer and Jim Griffin, which is why I never wanted to join the New York Guardians before. You, though, ain’t so bad. That’s why I went along with Bart’s idea to bring you out here. I needed someone to either rein me in or take me in. A man my age knows how stupid he can be.”
    “How old are you?”
    “Old enough to know we never stop screwing up. We all lie to ourselves when we think we’ll become better people. We’re always us. The only thing harder than making the same mistakes over and over again is making yourself someone new.”
    “Change is a part of life.”
    “For you, maybe. The world moves faster than I can. The Cree called me the boy who never grew up because I stayed young while others became elders. They didn’t understand why I never died, so they made myths about Chahkabesh, the boy who killed giants, trapped the sun, and lived on the moon.”
    “That’s what you meant when you said myths are more real than you know.”
    “But myths don’t get to change. They’re always what they are. They only get understood differently. Retold with new parts so they make sense for each generation.”
    Alex’s phone rang. He recognized the number and pressed the accept button. “Bart?”
    Chak’s acute hearing allowed him to hear Bart, the ultra-athlete publically known as Arbalest, say, “Hey, you gotta get rid of Kayleigh. She screwed up royally today.”
    Alex said, “I won’t do anything until I get her side of the story.”
    Chak snatched the phone. “That wouldn’t be the same little lady you didn’t want to help after she got hurt, would it?”
    Alex heard Bart try to backtrack before Chak launched into a torrent of obscenity-laden insults.
    Chak wiped his spittle from the phone and handed it back to Alex. “He’ll think twice before he’s anything less than a gentleman.”
    “He’ll probably withdraw your nomination for the New York Guardians.”
    “I’m all for helping your team, but I won’t compromise who I am. I don’t schmooze.”
    “Maybe we do need you more than you need us.” Alex looked at the docks. Through the drizzle, two star-like eyes looked back at him. “Qing Long. He’s