You think someone's gonna thank you?

Liam lowered his head sullenly and clenched his hands in his lap. The horrors he'd endured would come back to him at night, when he'd break out in a cold sweat, throwing the blanket over his bed and screaming. Everyone was used to it by now, and Twelfth often prepared sleeping pills for him, but then the man would rise in the morning with a woozy head and feeling like a vegetable.

Preferring suffering over such a life, he continued to agonize at night. This lasted until one day, during a bombing raid, a little girl grabbed him by the arm. Her frightened eyes and crying face awakened feelings in Liam that he had never known before.

While rescuing the little girl, he accidentally discovered two dozen other hungry children. While sheltering with them from the explosions and falling buildings in the bunker, Liam sensed that some children had outstanding spiritual abilities.

The Head cheered up and found hope in the midst of the chaos. A tantalizing prospect somehow appeared in his mind: to find other children who barely survived on the streets of destroyed cities, to separate the gifted ones and take them with him.

And then to think about their education and upkeep. That's when he met a humble monk who distributed food to children on the streets without fear of the threat of death. This amazing man had a remarkable mind, and more importantly, he had great control over his emotions, always remaining calm and peaceful.

He taught Liam how to meditate, and that's how he almost got rid of his nightmares. Joining forces with the monk, Liam realized his vision and gradually brought about three hundred children to the old orphanage. Sponsors actively supported his work, and the children needed nothing.

All that remained was to find suitable teachers for them. Having visited a retreat center[1] in Paris, Liam was convinced that the monks' approach was very much to his liking, and so he planned his trip to Tibet in the near future.

"If I could get Teacher Ko to join us, I think we could revitalize the traditions of the Academy," Liam said after much thought.

"Why not create a new Academy in the Aether?"  When Cal asked this question, he saw that the people around him were looking at him strangely.

"That's impossible," replied Twelfth, "to do that, we'd need to unite several hundred Elders..."

"But, what if we don't create something grand..."

"No, that will only be possible in twenty or thirty years, if we do manage to train the children," Liam said firmly and Cal had to give up.

"Well," he said, "in that case, I'll go with you."

"No! You can't!" Liam responded sharply.  "Do you realize how much you can do as a factory manager!"

"Liam's right, you can't pass up this chance. Besides, you can help maintain our orphanage," the Head Elder supported the Head.

"I see," Cal frowned, "when are you leaving?"

"The day after tomorrow."

"Shit!" 

The man pounded his fist on the table, causing the dishes to rattle.

Everyone at the table was suddenly very uncomfortable, and the Elders hurried away on their urgent business. Cal sat leaning on the table, tapping his fingers on the smooth polished wood. Liam pretended not to understand his displeasure and sorted sandwiches on a plate.

"Um," Cal snapped to attention, "so what: we're not going to see each other again?"

"I'm that, well... I'm sorry," Liam didn't even lift his head.

"I don't believe it!" - Cal grumbled, already regretting his outburst.

"Don't be mad, it's not like I didn't know you were coming, that you wanted to be with me again..."

"So you didn't think about us getting back together?" 

Cal looked distraught at his hunch about Liam.

"No, I didn't," Liam wriggled in an attempt to get his point across, "I just thought you wouldn't want to..."

"Damn it," Cal got frustrated and covered his eyes with his hand.

Liam felt guilty, as he usually did. Occasionally, he got tired of feeling indebted to everyone and snapped at someone around him, like he had seven months ago with Cal. Then he regretted his words and actions, but the person he loved was already too far away to make up. Their meeting had been a pleasant shock to him, despite the pain in his lower back and some of Cal's rudeness.

"By the way, I live nearby, if you don't have a place to stay, you can crash at my place," Liam muttered, hinting at sharing a bed.

Luckily, his words hit the mark and Cal softened. He held out his arms, beckoning Liam to come over, and wrapped his arms around him, snuggling into his chest.

"In that case, I'd like to check on your living arrangements," Cal said slyly, and smiled so stunningly that Liam's legs did indeed buckle.

"I hope you don't find a violation," Liam played along, stroking his hair.

"I don't know, I don't know, we'll have to see," Cal rose to his feet, "by the way, grab those boxes."

"Already did," Liam smiled innocently and patted the bag, from where a faint metallic sound came.

"I see no reason to delay the inspection."  Cal grabbed Liam and the bag and walked away from the room.

They met Twelfth on the first floor, but passed him by.

"I'll be gone for a while," Liam managed to blurt out and disappeared over the threshold of the drugstore.

"Who'd doubt it," the Elder laughed and went back to his business.

Meanwhile, Cal found his chauffeur and let him go, writing down the phone number of Tobias's assistant. Following Liam, he was suddenly a basket case for the groceries the Head was buying up along the way. When there was no more room in his hands, he stopped Liam and said:

"Are you really hoping you'll have time to eat all this?"

"What?" — Liam wondered, "I bought some."

'I just think there will be other dishes on the menu,' Cal replied with an impenetrable face.

"Suit yourself," Liam shrugged, "wait, here's some more fresh bread," he picked up two loaves and to Cal's sighs they continued to the apartment.

Liam's apartment was in the attic. The landlady looked at the guest with a scrutinizing eye and clucked her tongue in displeasure.

"Mrs. Helmitz, this is my friend Cal Xavier, let him stay with me for a couple of days."

"Isn't he some kind of crook?" — The woman squinted incredulously.

"What do you mean, no, Mr. Xavier is here on business, and he'll pay for the lodging."

"Well, if that's the case, then fine, but no drinking and no women!" 

"You can rest easy, Frau," Cal joined the conversation, "we're not like that."

Liam sensed a hidden meaning in his words, but tried to keep his feelings to himself. They said goodbye to the landlady and climbed the wooden stairs upstairs. Liam's room was a rather cozy place with faded walls. Putting his purchases on the table, Cal walked back and forth across the room and concluded that it was small. It took him seven steps to go from wall to wall.

"It's not a big room," Liam said in an apologetic tone, "but I only sleep here at night and spend the rest of my time at the apothecary or traveling."

"Why the pharmacy," Cal asked, sitting down on the bed.

"Because people can come in there without arousing suspicion," Liam replied, leaning over to the man and taking off his shoes.

Then he carried them to the entrance and returned with a pair of slippers.

"Twelfth said you can't use the crystal," Cal remembered, examining his re-shod feet.

"Well, yes, we try to hide our spiritual footprint, much less use the powers for anything."

"But why? Wouldn't that help you?"

"Not at all, especially since we recently sensed the presence of another power and assumed that this someone might detect us. To avoid taking any unnecessary risks, we're all hiding our natures, and you should do the same from now on," Liam looked sternly at Cal, "I'll teach you."

"I see," Cal frowned.

He stretched out his legs and lay down on the bed, which was quite narrow. The ceiling had cracks in the plaster, and the windows were cool. Nevertheless, this modest room seemed nice to the man and quite suitable for his purposes.

He could have gone with Liam to his estate, surrounded him with wealth and comfort, but he couldn't use the magic power, and six hours in a car didn't exactly inspire him. Meanwhile, Liam had gone through the vegetables and was washing them in a basin. Cal got up and helped him without a word.

"I'd like to make braised cabbage and meat, if you don't mind," Liam said.

"It's been a while since I've tasted your cooking," Cal smiled sadly.

"Yeah, really..."

Liam chopped the cabbage, pushing away the intrusive thoughts of the last time he'd cooked for Cal. Their cozy, but never settled home was somewhere far in the past. He couldn't truly say where he belonged right now. To distract himself somehow, he decided to tell his friend about what had been bothering him all this time.

"Do you remember the town of Ypres in western Flanders?"

"That's where the French took the fortress four times?"

"That's right. While I was in the Aether, I missed World War I, and recently some information came to light. Have you heard anything about a "council of the gods"?

"No, is that some kind of Freemasons?" — Cal answered.

"If only, though... I'm talking about a chemical concern and the main sponsor of the army, with a group of powerful and dangerous people behind it."

"Wait, I heard something, but I don't remember exactly..."

"During World War I, Ypres was a major pillar of the Entente's western front. But then the French army of many thousands was attacked by chlorine. It was the first time this had happened in the world, and then a similar mustard gas attack in 1917 led to the gas used being called mustard gas. More than fifty thousand soldiers fell at Ypres, with nearly  never buried."*

"Old Belgium..." — sighed Cal.

"One Fritz Haber, under whose personal supervision chlorine was used at Ypres, was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1918 for his development of substances used to make explosives."

"The world isn't fair..." Cal resented, frowning. "Since when do murderers receive honored with awards?"

"The chlorine attack killed three thousand people on the spot, and severely burned seven thousand people."

"I understand it, but what's your point?"

"In 1925, six major chemical concerns gathered to form IG Farben, with Mr. Haber at the helm. That's how the "council of the gods" came into being.

"Don't these people think too highly of themselves?" Cal was indignant.

"That's not all," the man behind the cooking continued, "Fritz Gaber was recently dismissed from the council of gods, as was a third of the entire board, and do you know why?"

"I haven't the faintest idea," Cal answered honestly.

"Because of nationality, Gaber is a Jew..."

"What a twist, and why are they bothering everyone so much? I heard this morning how the soldiers took a whole family out at night to an unknown destination."

"In a known direction," Liam corrected him, "they're all being transported to the camps."

"Hmm? I don't understand, are they criminals?"

"It's hard to explain. Let's say there's a group of people who think their race is the only pure and worthy one, and the Jews (they're also called Semites), very much didn't fit the requirements."

"But is that a reason to imprison them?"

Liam sighed.

"Society has become more violent than in the days of our youth, we could barely cope with injustice then, and even more so now. I mean, you've been on earth longer, are you still capable of wonder?"

"You think I delved into such things?" snorted Cal, "I was only interested in money, power, and influence."

"You mean you were turning a blind eye?" pressed Liam on him.

"I mean, I loaded myself up with work so much that I didn't have time to notice anything like that."

"I see," Liam wiped his hands with a towel and sat down on the edge of his chair, "I didn't expect you to be aware of everything."

"So, what's the deal with these Jews?"

"I don't know yet, that's not what worries me. I've learned from our informants that production has begun on Zarin and Cyclone B. These are dangerous substances that have one purpose, to kill."

"Is this a government order?"

"Yes. It's estimated that four kilograms of Cyclone is enough to kill a thousand people." *

"Wow! That's kind of unfair, can you use such a weapon in war?"

"I'm uncertain if that's how it's used, but it's too early to tell."

"Wait, I'm confused," Cal actually felt his head cracking at the seams, "if not for war, then what's this gas for?"

"For killing people, of course," Liam said quietly and pressed his lips together.

Cal realized that it was not worth developing this topic and switched to another.

"What about Tibet, why do you have to travel so far away? Isn't there anything closer?"

"I'm looking for a specific person, we need him to contact a person close to Himmler, a man." [2]

Cal's head is spinning.

"Wait, so you're looking for Teacher Ko to help you … to be close to the top of the Third Reich?"

"Something like that..."

"God, why do you have to get involved in everything? Have you ever thought about staying out of it for a change? You think someone would thank you?"

Liam was resentfully silent. Like before, he'd known he shouldn't tell Cal everything that was going on inside him because he wouldn't support him, but he'd gotten carried away and blabbed anyway. It would have been so much easier for him to deal with all of this if the person he loved was on his side. But Cal was different.

He only cared about himself and Liam, and didn't worry about the good of others. If it were up to him, he'd be living on his island somewhere, enjoying the moment and forgetting about everything else in the world. In that sense, Cal was like Pittsu.

Occasionally, Liam hated his temper and wished he had a more calloused heart, so he wouldn't take into trouble. Occasionally, he wished he could be like Cal, so he could look past everything, but his stubborn nature kept getting him into situations where he couldn't stay out of it.

"It doesn't matter if anyone is grateful, but before my conscience, I'll do the right thing," Liam replied.

"Who would doubt it?" exclaimed Cal bitterly, shocked at what he had heard.

To avoid saying too much, he asked: "You know what, I'm going to take a nap, I woke up early this morning and feel tired. Wake me up later."

With those words, Cal curled up on the bunk and did indeed fall asleep. All Liam had to do was cook dinner. After he finished, he got up and walked over to the bed. The man on it lay fairly compact and could be squeezed in if he wanted to. Not wanting to deprive himself of that pleasure, Liam carefully crept into bed, filling the space with his body. To do so, he had to snuggle up tightly against the sleeping man.

Gently placing his hand on his waist, Liam rested his hand on the back of the peacefully sleeping man's head and could no longer disassociate himself from the light, tantalizing scent that characterized Cal. It was all about his habit of adding pine extract while bathing, he said the smell soothed him.

Liam liked it, too, when Cal smelled mysteriously of woods and fog. And then there was the silk of his hair. It felt like he'd never cut it, and it flowed in a loose wave, hugging his shoulders and reaching down to his handsome waist.

"He's the only person on earth who doesn't realize how beautiful he is," Liam thought as he inhaled Cal's scent and felt his hair tickle his nose.

"Mmmm, Liam, what are you doing there?" muttered the sleepy man, feeling a touch on his body.

"Sleep, I want to rest too," hugged the man harder.

Cal opened his eyes, feeling like he was definitely not going to sleep now, and turned to face Liam, with part of his body hanging off the bed, threatening to drag him all the way down with it. When he leveled himself, he pressed himself tightly against Liam.

"It's a little tight in here," Cal whispered and kissed Liam's forehead. Liam put his arms around him again, pulling him close, so he wouldn't fall off. "If you keep doing that, I'm going to find another use for this bed," Cal muttered, touching Liam's hair behind his ear.

"You can't make noise, Frau Helmitz has sung in the church choir all her life and has amazing hearing," Liam smiled.

"Nothing is impossible," Cal moved slightly, and the bed creaked treacherously beneath him.

Liam jumped with laughter.

"Yeah, hushed," he said through his tears.

"Like I'm the only one who wants it, and you're pretending to be innocent?" teased Cal at him.

No matter how hard they tried, their hearts always beat harder when they were near each other, and their minds gave way to burning desire. Liam lowered his slightly fluttering lashes, capitulating to Cal's overwhelming aura, and immediately felt a moist, warm touch on his lips.

All he had to do was not panic and surrender to the impulses drawing them away. He couldn't remember whether it was decent or not, silent or loud, but in the brief moments when he began to realize what was happening, he felt an assertive and hot body inside him, making him gripped by an acute pleasure and an unending thirst for closer contact.

He cried out, driven by passion and a sense of supreme happiness, merging with another equally desiring intimacy. His sudden movements, his sighs, and moans, his hoarsely spoken name, his palms roaming over the wet body that had previously clutched a sword and subdued evil-it was enough to send Liam over the edge of no return and make him Cal's slave.

He'd never admit to becoming dependent and needy, turning his thoughts to the man he loved a hundred times a day. And in his nightmarish dreams, he was invariably there, but he couldn't touch him.

Liam wished he could finally break down that invisible wall between them, but he would rather not sacrifice his mission in the process.

Before their shared finale, Liam stood against the wall, arching his back hard and taking Cal's furious blows, possessed by a growing sense of bliss. Liam bit his lip painfully and slid his sweaty palms over the smooth wallpaper.

Unwilling to surrender and longing for relief, he wiggled his spanking-reddened ass with all his might. Suddenly, Cal was pitying, and a man's hand slid down Liam's stomach to caress his waiting flesh.

Everything lined up into one piercing truth: the sprawling sensation of another man's flesh sinking into his body, teasing the lustful demon inside him, and Cal's hand on his cock... and... it happened!

Liam shuddered, feeling the muscles inside involuntarily clench, and a wave of agonizing pleasure hit him. Cal dragged Liam, who couldn't resist, and continued this fight alone.

Almost immediately, they collapsed on the grudgingly creaking bed to give themselves a rest. Cal tossed the condom to the floor, while Liam threw his leg over it and hugged him tightly. It wasn't until the coolness pouring in from the window touched their cooled once-wet bodies that they began to awaken from their deep cleansing slumber.

"It's been a long time since I've had such a good rest," Liam muttered.

"That's because of me, isn't it?" Cal smiled, running his thumb over his swollen lips.

Liam nodded and smiled sweetly, stretching his body.

"I think I'm so dirty," Liam grumbled.

"I saw a shower at the end of the hallway."

"It's communal."

"Let's take a chance, shall we?"

"The two of us?" Liam grimaced.

"Or did you want to wait for Mrs. Helmitz?"

"Fool!" Liam thumped him and doomed agreed to Cal's daring plan.

They grabbed a large towel and slipped into the shower. When the lock clicked, Liam was relieved and allowed himself to be thoroughly soaped in all places, then returned the favor to Cal.

They could hardly restrain themselves from getting carried away by the mutual massage, which knew where it would lead them. After the water treatment, they clearly felt terribly hungry. Fortunately, a hearty bigus was waiting for them.

"I learned this recipe from a Polish priest," Liam emphasized, "when I was taking the children out of the shelling. We spent the night in a dilapidated chapel, and this kind man treated us to a meal, knowing he'd have nothing left to eat tomorrow."

"You've seen a lot of misfortune," the man across the table said, setting aside his spoon and looking at him carefully.

"I try not to think about it, but I have nightmares at night. Once, I saw children throwing pebbles into the mouth of a dead man. I was amazed, but I realized that they were just kids who didn't understand anything about what was going on around them."

"It's their souls' way of protecting themselves from traumatic events, and they've got their whole lives to live. You know, I'd like to see your shelter."

"If you go, please keep in mind the candy. These are kids, after all. The oldest ones are thirteen, fourteen. Some of them have had time to hold guns, and it's been hard to convince them to leave this way."

"I understand," Cal replied, taking up his meal again.