Page 58 of Amadeo
Tito nodded. “I had the same reaction, Deo. I think I suddenly…” Tito paused. “No, not suddenly, but I had too many questions about him. Stuff that didn’t add up. Things about Max just seemed odd.”
I rolled my eyes. “Tito, he’s always been strange.” Then I glanced over at the butler. “Sorry Max, but there are times…Like when you just appear out of nowhere. Or when you seem to know what someone needs before they even know it. Then, man…you haven’t aged since I was a child.”
“He hasn’t aged at all, cousin,” Tito said.
“So we just came full circle to my question,” I noted. “What the hell? What is Max doing? Besides this protection thing.”
“Ok, let me try to tell you about the night we found out.” Valencia started to pace as she spoke as if moving around would help her to describe something undescribable.
A month ago…
Max stared at us. “I can explain. However, you may not believe what I tell you.”
Tito scoffed then shook his head. “I already can’t believe what…” He then looked around. “You live here in the basement?”
“Most of the time, yes,” Max replied.
Tito again looked at him then around at the mostly empty basement. “I don’t see a bed, or any furniture here, Max.”
“I have a bed in the back area, Sir.” He motioned to the dark area of the very large room.
“Would you quit calling me sir!” Tito snapped. “You raised me from diapers, Max. The sir thing really annoys me. I am notyour boss.” Then he sucked in a breath as if something else just occurred to him. “Does my uncle know about…” His voice faded a bit as he went on, “Whatever this is!”
“Yes and no,” Max answered.
Tito sighed heavily then said, “Ok, I can't believe … just please explain all this Max.”
“I am the protector of the Dark Moon.”
Tito stared at him and paused. “Ok…go on,” he urged.
“I was your grandfather’s protector for many years.”
“Yes, I know that, he sent you here from Italy.” Tito nodded.
“I was also his father’s protector,” Max added.
“That’s not possible, Max. You must mean that your father protected his father.”
Max slowly shook his head. “I alone have always protected the Descalia family. He shrugged. “Well, as far back as 1750, I have.”
“Seventeen…” Tito faltered. “So I was right? You aren’t human?”
“Yes and no.”
“Max, you keep saying yes and no,” Valencia told him. “Something either is or isn’t.”
He again smiled at us.
When he did this, we had to suck our breaths in again. It just seemed to be so terrifying. The man had always worn a non-emotional blank look.
“In 1750, your great, great, great grandfather saved my family,” Max explained. “I’d been injured and he took me to his modest home in Italia.” He shrugged his suited shoulders. “Well, it was actually part of Rome at the time.”
We both stared at him.
“He saved your life?” Tito asked.
Nodding, the butler went on, “Yes, it is a long story, but I have been with the Descalias for over two-hundred and seventy-five years.”
