"No-we're not. I did not pack nearly enough clothes for this," Hewlett says. He pokes me with his elbow, "And Yori here has something else to tell you." I thought we weren't going to talk about that right now. Especially seeing how excited he got after hearing we'll be staying with her.
"You two saw it didn't you?" Champo asks. You have to be joking.
"Saw what?"
"The gun," he answers.
"She has a gun?" Hewlett answers. He seems more bothered now. This is why I didn't want to mention anything right now.
"It's for self-defense don't get too worried about it. She's just a little bit careless with where she leaves it sometimes," Champo says. I'm pretty sure you don't hear yourself. Who has a gun for self-defense and just leaves it around? "We can clear things up with her when we go back inside." My legs grow stiff. I just can't imagine going back inside there. I don't think these two know what they're asking. Does she just keep that side of her shelved somewhere like that gun?
"Oh, that makes…sense?" Hewlett pieces together. Excuse me? Really Hewlett. Sarcasm. Like right now?
"I promise it's okay," Champo says. Oh-I believe you, what I don't believe is that the gun she pointed at me was empty. In fact, I think it had gold bullets. "We can go clear things up right now." Champo called us outside of aunt Gloria's shop to ask us if we were uncomfortable with staying with her because she's albino. I feel shitty for him to even have to do that. But the problem isn't that, it's the gun.
"We should if we plan on staying with her," Hewlett says. Now I'm wondering if she knocked him out cold with her amaka. This is too weird for you to be going along with Hewlett. Grow some backbone, or at least fill me in on the plan if you have one.
"We're back. Sorry for having to pull them outside like that," Champo says.
"I completely understand. I should have brought it up sooner when we were just the three of us," aunt Gloria says. Genuinely, who are you? Normal adults don't pull off 180s like you just did. "I've just been a bit more forgetful than usual. First with your father's buttons and then with leaving the gun lying around carelessly in front of the visitors…I couldn't bring myself to mention them staying here after what they saw."
"You don't have to defend yourself aunt Gloria. They're strong and they understand how these sorts of things work. They were just worried about who would want to target you," Champo says. I assure you that is not what we were thinking.
"Then would you mind patrolling the area with the twins to make sure it isn't dangerous out there?" aunt Gloria asks. What are you saying? Holding back my mouth from calling her out is even harder than the strength training Master Dell made me do.
"We'll show you which parts we usually patrol," Duncan says.
"Duncan and I start off close to 8 PM but we can go a little bit later if you'd like," Darren says.
"Sure, I'm down for that," says Champo.
But what's the reason for us staying here?
"I'm done with your father's robe. I'll keep it somewhere dry," aunt Gloria says.
"Thank you," Champo answers.
"You're welcome," aunt Gloria says. "Show your friends around the house Darren."
"Oh. Let's go this way," Darren says pointing to a door.
"Isn't…?" Shit! I shouldn't ask something like that.
"Is something wrong Yori?" Hewlett asks.
"No, not really." I almost asked if this is a house or a shop? That'd be too rude to live with. "I-was just thinking out loud." Master would tell me it's rude to ask those sorts of questions… Things were hard enough because I can't ask anyone about Umu, but now even Master Dell's grimoire isn't here anymore.
"Darren, is this a house and a shop?" Hewlett asks. Hewlett what a rude thing to say, I'm still curious about the answer though.
"It is. I know the size from the outside doesn't make any sense but it goes underground," Darren says. Hewlett and I then notice the stairs going down passed the door and follow Darren's lead.
"And are all shops built like this?" Asks Hewlett. This reminds me of back home, and the barn.
"I don't know any other shops that are like this. She said it reminded her of her home," Darren answers.
Hmm? Is it just a coincidence? "Did aunt Gloria ever tell you where her home was?"
"Somewhere North-East," Darren answers. "I didn't know you two were into buildings." Oh, so now you don't want us to ask you more questions? I thought she might be Master's second student. The only thing they have in common is how I can't tell what they're thinking.
"Sorry for the questions," Hewlett says.
"Don't worry about it. Aunt Gloria said there's no point in lying about anything to you two when you went outside with Champo," Darren says. "Even about what she does." And what does she do? "We're here…"
A space twice as big as the one Brother Sabantu had under his bar but with doors littered on the sides. There're grass and trees growing everywhere around. "Who waters this place?" Darren and Hewlett chuckle at my question.
"It's amaka," Hewlett answers.
"How'd you tell?" Darren asks.
"The trees are all around the same size and shape. But this level of amaka use and on such a large scale… she isn't just a tailor, is she?" Hewlett asks. Well-I thought it was obvious that she wasn't after she pulled out her gun and I know you thought that too. So-you're either buttering him up to say more than he should or you actually did get knocked out cold.
"… No, she isn't. When we first brought Champo down here it was to tell him the same thing but he noticed that it was the work of amaka too and started to freak out before we could explain anything," Darren says. "Brother Sabantu told him that he made it. Just like the one at their bar. Champo believed him. Apparently, his brain goes out the window when he's around aunt Gloria and Brother Sabantu."
"We noticed," Hewlett says. Well-I thought I was the only one who noticed but it seems like Hewlett just didn't want to talk about it.
"You're not here, by coincidence," Darren says. "You're here to train under her. After three days, they'll be a bounty on your head. The only one who can prepare you for them is her. And that's because, Aunt Gloria, is a hunter."