The Inner Circle

32

"You don’t believe me,” Nico says, fine-tuning his gaze at me. “Of course you’d think like that.”

“What’re you talking about?” I ask. “You don’t even know me.”

“You’re wrong. You’re very wrong!” he growls, his chest pumping like wild.

“You got three minutes!” the guard calls out behind us, just to make sure we know he’s watching. “Make them count.”

Nico psssts at the two tuxedo cats, who continue to ignore him.

Clementine knows I’m not going anywhere. Not now. She stands there, still facing us. But she won’t come closer. She’s heard enough. She wants to go.

“Tell me,” Nico says excitedly, sitting on his own hands as he returns to the bench. “When you found that book… for you to bring it here. You of all people…”

“Why do you keep saying that?” I scold.

“Benjy!” Clementine pleads.

“Benjy?” Nico asks, scanning my ID that hangs around my neck. “Is that your name?”

“My name’s Beecher.”

His eyes recheck my ID, which lists my full name in impossibly small type. He has no problem reading it. White, Beecher Benjamin. He starts to laugh. A strong, breathy laugh through his gritted teeth. “It couldn’t be more perfect, could it?”

He’s no longer excited; now he’s absolutely giddy.

“Yesyesyes. This is it, isn’t it?” he asks, his head turned fully to the left. Like he’s talking to someone who’s not there. “This is the proof…”

“Nico…” I say.

“… this proves it, right? Now we can…”

“Nico, if you need help, I can get help for you.”

“You are,” he snaps. “You’re helping me. Can you not see that? To follow her here… to come see me… every life… all our lives are lived for a reason.”

“Nico, you said it’s a test for me,” I say. “Tell me why it’s a test for me.”

Across from us, a gray tabby cat leaps up, landing delicately on the edge of an outdoor metal garbage can. There’s not a single sound from the impact.

Nico still flinches.

“That’s it, Nico! Time’s up!” the guard shouts, quickly approaching. “Say goodbye…”

“How do you know this book?” I challenge. “What the heck is going on?”

“I have no idea what’s going on,” Nico replies, calmer than ever and still sitting on his hands. “I don’t know who’s using that dictionary, or what they have planned. But for you to be the one who found it… such a man of books… and the name Benjamin… like your predecessor-”

“Wait. My predecessor? Who’s my predecessor?”

Nico pauses, again turning to his left. His lips don’t move, but I see him nodding. I don’t know who his imaginary friend is, but I know when someone’s asking permission.

“We all have souls, Benjamin. And our souls have missions. Missions that we repeat, over and over, until we conquer them.”

“Y’mean like reincarnation?” Clementine asks, earnestly trying to understand, though she still won’t take a single step toward us.

“Nico! Let’s go!” the guard yells. “Now!”

He barely notices.

“I can see who you are, Benjamin. I can see you just like the Indian chiefs who saw George Washington as a boy. They knew who he was. They knew he was chosen. Just as I knew when I saw you.”

Oh, then that makes far more sense, I think to myself. “So now that we’re all reincarnated, lemme guess-I’m George Washington?” I ask.

“No, no, no-not at all,” Nico says. “You’re the traitor.”

“Nico, I’m taking mail privileges first, then the juice cart!” the guard threatens.

Nico pops from his seat and strolls toward the guard at the front of the building. But as he circles past us, he glances back over his shoulder, his voice barely a whisper. “All these years… haven’t you seen the battles I’ve been chosen for? I’m George Washington,” Nico insists, tapping a thumb at his own chest. “But you… I know you, boy. And I know how this ends. This is your test. I’m George Washington. And you’re Benedict Arnold.”