Best Served Cold by David Wagner

Author:David Wagner
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks

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The streetlights were still throwing a dim light over the pavement the next morning when Rick got off the elevator and trotted toward the door of the hotel. The clerk on duty glanced at him from behind the desk, apparently not surprised that a guest would be up and about before the dining room was open for breakfast. Rick had opened the window of his room to check the temperature and decided that a T-shirt and shorts would be all he’d need for his run. Some stretching would be required before heading out, and when he pushed open the door, he was surprised to see someone on the hotel steps doing just that.

“Good morning, Padre.”

“Well, well. I didn’t expect to see you up at this hour, Rick.” Zeke wore loose-fitting shorts and a gray tee with the letters USMC. “I don’t remember you as a runner.” He kept stretching as he talked, and Rick began his own routine as he answered.

“I started a couple years after graduation when I noticed that I was putting on some weight. What about you?”

“I can thank the Marine Corps. Runs were a part of our daily routine. What’s funny is that I remember how I looked forward to leaving runs behind when I became a civilian.” He grunted as he stretched one calf, then the other. “But when I got into the seminary, I realized that getting out for a run was not just important physically—like what you said about gaining weight—but also spiritually. Do you find that’s the case with you, Rick?”

“I use the run to clear my mind for the day’s activities. And in the early morning, the streets of Rome are delightful. It is a different city around dawn, with different people.” He pulled his knee to his chest. “You must have run yesterday morning, Zeke. Do you want to take the same route?”

“Yesterday I ran up into town; I thought today I would head down to the plain. You’ll be glad to know I checked a map last night on my computer.” He pointed toward the green farmland that spread out below them. The sun was starting to peek over the hill behind them, sending streaks of sunlight west. “We’ll go down to Santa Maria degli Angeli, then run parallel to the highway before turning to come back to Assisi.”

“Lead the way, Captain.”

They started down the street below the hotel, ran past the parking lot that was starting to come to life with early day-trippers, and quickly dropped to the flat farmland. It had rained during the night, and they avoided the few puddles on the road that the day’s heat would soon evaporate. The air was fresh with agricultural smells, enhanced by the moisture. Every field they passed had a different crop or animal, each more pungent than the last, but always the aromas of nature. It was very different from what Rick’s nostrils picked up during his morning runs in Rome.

“I had an interesting conversation with Lillian Rael last night in the hotel bar,” said Rick.

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