AZOTUSLAND chapter Fifty-Seven

Andy brought out his prized plants and laid them, tray after tray on the long tables usually laid out with keyboards.

The keyboards were tucked behind the towers and monitors and he had a captive audience of 8 volunteers. Each of them had been studying ornamental horticulture online and had also been preparing the various planter beds around the grounds. Jonathan had provided rich compost and helped them work it into the soil, then he had laid mulch over the top.

Today was the day. Andy's robust plants were amazing and strong and would populate the whole grounds with vegetables, flowers and many growing and flowering vines. He had managed, in his small space, to actually produce over 400 healthy plants ready for planting.

Over the next 6 hours, his band of helpers would set in the earth plants that would transform, in just a few months, the whole look and feel of Azotus and it's many-tiered grounds.

Andy was proud and Jim has sent him a note wishing him well on the endeavor and also promising to visit with him soon. Jim apologized for being self-absorbed as of late and hoped that Andy would forgive him.

********

Hans heard the door click in the back and heard Jim and Maugham talking as they went in the last door.

"Just perfuckt," he said to himself and then went back to studying a book on Munch.

*******

Down the long corridor and spilling into Silo 3 Maugham said "you are a fucking maniac."

"You likey?"

Maugham walked around the third of a room that was divided by a long trench that was filled with water and illuminated. On the Northern wall the surface was like onyx...some kind of dark black polymer that was smooth yet non-reflective. Inlayed into the wall were various fishtanks with saltwater fish. Each one end to end down the way."

"Planning on opening a Walmart?" Maugham joked.

Jim didn't answer. Instead he hit a side panel and grabed a Negro Modelo and gave one to Maugham. Then he rolled up his pant legs and dropped his legs down into the long trench where he sat. Maugham came over and simple stretched his legs over the trench looked down and said. "So you gotta fish fetish?"

"I admit I find water comforting. We all came from water Maug. It's a wider vehicle than you might know," Jim said, then he felt a bit foolish. "Look I am sory I have not been forthcoming. I just got use to keeping things to myself and it became habit. It was unecessary with you, to be sure, and also others."

"What happened to you man?"

"That doesn't matter now. What matters is what is, and what is now," he said. "And this room is for you Maugham and the woman you love."

"You want me to live here in fish-land?"

Jim got up and stepped over the the larger part of he expansive room. He hit a wall panel and the otherwise empty room moved in various directions.

"So you have two Batcaves." Maugham said flat and even.

"Look Maug," Jim said softly, "I build this in hopes that one day I might live here with someone I love. But that hasn't happened. If anything happens I want you to have this place...really everything."

"You want me to sleep in that...your bed?"

"No one has ever slept in it Maug." Jim said. "In fact, no one has really ever lived in this space. I just come here and feed the fish. Manfred cleans the tanks and does maintenance."

"Manfred knows about this!!!?"

"Yeah, of course," Jim laughed. "Manfred is smarter than you think. Most of his stuff is just an act. Did you know he has a Master's degree from Cal?"

"Fuck me," Maugham said.

"Yeah, it's our private joke," Jim said.

"Look why don't we just go to the police and have them investigate Candice?"

"For what? For being bitter about something that happened seven years ago? I had half hoped that blowing up my car would be enough...but then I was not sure it was her at all then."

"Now you are?"

"Yes. She's not Rnonymous anymore to me."