King of All I Survey
Chapter 42: Take Your Rightful Place in History

Chapter 42: Take Your Rightful Place in History

"I imagine that a man in your line of work would be under a tremendous amount of stress every day," Maribel replied.

"Ordinarily, less than you’d think," Rafael countered, "but the night is too early for us to dance around the truth." He gave the waiter a look. The waiter bowed his head slightly and left the room. "I have taken the liberty of ordering before you arrived. I hope you don’t mind. The chef will prepare a tasting menu of his finest dishes in seven courses." As the door closed behind the waiter, Rafael looked directly at Maribel, "I assume you are responsible for the little bedtime stories about the lords of Xibalba to so many people last night. Was there some purpose to that?"

Maribel smiled, "I’m sorry if such scary stories caused nightmares, but yes, there was a purpose. You have implied that you can strike my people or the Food First facility whenever you want. Perhaps that is true, although you might find the task more difficult than it seems. I want to impress upon you, in return, that I also have the resources available to reach into your organization, even to you, yourself. We were easily able to bypass your security to deliver a personal message even as you slept. Likewise, we delivered the same message to many people associated with ’work.’ We know who they are, how they fit into your organization, and how to reach them at any time. This time, we just sent a little message, but they are all so helpless when they sleep."

Rafael’s face twisted just a little, one side of his mouth raised as if he were snarling, reminding Maribel of a jaguar facing a pack of dogs, "I do not respond well to threats, Maribel."

"I do not mean to threaten you, Mister Camal de Leon. I simply want to impress upon you that should my interests be harmed, well, we can and will retaliate tenfold," she stared back, returning his gaze calmly. She picked up her glass of pisco and sipped lightly. Carefully placing it back on the table.

"I see," Rafael said curtly, "I had hoped my donation to your cause would demonstrate my goodwill and that neither of us would find such displays necessary."

"I appreciate your assistance with our mission to help the people of Guatemala, I do. I just want to make sure that you or your people don’t make rash decisions because you underestimate my resources or my resolve, Mister Camal de Leon. I know what you want and why you want it. I will not allow you to use our equipment to increase your ability to poison people with drugs," Maribel’s voice was level, cold, and calm.

A small quiet knock on the door, then the waiter opened the door and brought in a serving tray, placing a small dish in front of Maribel first, then Rafael. "Chojin, a Guatemalan classic salad featuring fresh local mint, radish and chicharonnes. A pairing well-suited to a fine Peruvian Pisco," the waiter announced.

"Thank you, it looks lovely," Maribel told him with a smile.

Rafael was sitting back in his chair, pisco in hand, swirling it absently.

After an uncomfortable moment of silence, he put the glass down and picked up his fork. "So, we can agree to disagree on certain matters, but that need not interfere with cooperation on the points where we have common cause. I think we can both agree that we desire to see the people of Guatemala prosper, to restore our Mayan heritage. If I am being honest, and I might as well be since your spies would quickly uncover the truth in any case, I do enjoy my time with you, short as it has been," Rafael said, his smile returning.

Maribel took a bite of her salad, hoping that chewing would help to hide her blush.

Rafael continued, "It’s true. Rarely do I find someone with the strength of character to stand up for themselves and their principles with such tenacity. Not only the strength of character, but also the actual power to guard them in a dangerous world. It is a rare combination. I find that power generally gravitates toward those who grab at it without scruples. You are an intriguing exception... if you are being honest with me." He picked up his fork and began eating, giving Maribel a moment to process her response.

"Perhaps, you see bad intentions all around because of the people with whom you choose to associate, Mr. Camal de Leon. I assure you that altruism is a powerful driving force in the world at large. I would even say its power is more enduring than the kind you see represented in your usual dealings. Can you say, if you are honest with yourself, that if you disappeared tomorrow, there would not be a dozen to take your place and the ’work’ you do here would not go on with barely an interruption?" She raised an eyebrow but continued without allowing him a response, "On the other hand, if I went back to Peru tomorrow, or disappeared mysteriously along with my equipment, the new incomes the farmers have found would disappear, leaving only a story of a happy moment of optimism that faded as quickly as it came. Which of us matters more, do you think, which has the greater potential to change the course of things and be remembered?" Here, she paused and resumed eating.

Rafael took a long drink of pisco from his tumbler, then intently studied the liquid as he again swirled the glass.

"You have more balls than any man I have ever met, Maribel. I mean that as a compliment. You sit here with a man you know to be a cold-blooded killer who stops at nothing to get what he wants. You tell him he cannot have what he wants. You threaten to make him disappear if he persists, and you tell him that he is insignificant and his whole life is meaningless. I could tell you I have killed men for lesser insults, but you know that already. Some men, when faced with death, stand with a hopeless defiance spitting in the face of their death knowing it is inescapable. Others grovel, hoping for a pardon, or stall for time to plan some miraculous escape. You... what? You sit comfortably, enjoying your salad and tell me that good is stronger than evil and that men such as I will blow away in the next wind." He paused long enough for another swallow of pisco, "Yes, a part of me is filled with a familiar rage, a desire to crush you and prove to myself that your words are false. Yet, a bigger part of me fears that they are true." He drained the last of his pisco and stared at the bottom of the empty glass.

"You should be careful, Rafael, pisco is quite strong. If you drink too much, you may forget to keep up your masquerade," Maribel cautioned, taking a sip from her own glass.

"Perhaps... perhaps I will." He looked toward the door as a knock announced the waiter’s entrance with the second course.

"This is our chef’s version of Kak’iq," he announced, "As Mr. Camal de Leon requested. It is a traditional Mayan stew with a tomato base, and the dark meat of game birds. It is also known for the intensity of the chili. In traditional settings, this dish was served by a local host to welcome someone to the community or as a sort of house-warming feast meal."

Maribel, looked askance at Rafael, "Did you still wish to bid me welcome to my new home in Guatemala, Rafael? Or would you rethink this offering after our discussion."

The waiter paled, glancing back and forth between Rafael and Mirabel, as if waiting for gunfire to erupt. He quickly ladled portions of the stew into two bowls, replacing their salads with the hearty Mayan stew. He exited the room as quickly as he could without seeming to be impolite.

Rafael laughed, "You scared him. He is not used to seeing a lamb challenge a jaguar, I think. As for the welcome, you have told me I cannot make you leave, so I might as well make a peace offering. Not every relationship needs to be a business arrangement, after all."

Maribel felt herself blushing again. Damn him, she thought to herself. "Why Mr. Camal de Leon, are you being forward with me?"

He laughed genuinely, "I fear you would only break my heart... or more likely rip it out and put it on a pike in front of the Palacio Verde as a warning to others." He picked up his tumbler to take another drink of pisco and found it empty. A brief look of surprise passed over his face before he set it back down.

"Seriously, though, I think I would like to spend more time with you. As I said, you are an intriguing woman. There are villages that could use your Food First deliveries that are difficult to reach. Fortunately, I have a variety of off-road transport vehicles at my disposal. Perhaps, if I were to help you find the communities most at need, and provide the way for you to reach them, my name might one day become at least a minor footnote rather than, as you say, be forgotten to history entirely."

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