Angel and the Assassin

over his legs to catch
    anything that fell, Kael still watched him like a hawk but could not stop himself
    from thinking how adorable the boy looked. Sitting cross-legged, wearing only his
    leather trousers, his bare chest smooth, pale, and hairless, his spiky hair standing
    out at the back and flopping in his eyes at the front, he laughed unrestrainedly.
    On the TV, Mr. Bean was behind the wheel of his little green Mini, changing
    his clothes. Angel had to keep putting his fork down to laugh. His giggle was
    infectious, and Kael found himself smiling even though he had seen it before. At one
    point Angel laughed so hard the plate on his lap shook precariously, and Kael was
    afraid it would slide to the floor, scattering Greek salad and lamb kebabs.
    “Daddy, this is so crazy! I‟ve never seen this before.” He looked at Kael, adding,
    “Sorry, I mean Sir.”
    Kael almost said, It’s okay , but he didn‟t. He had made his rule, and he must
    stick to it. “Hold on to your plate.”
    “Yes, Sir.”
    Mr. Bean ended, and Angel finished his food. He was always hungry and ate
    nonstop whenever there was food in the flat. Kael needed to do some shopping and
    fill the fridge for him. Normally he never thought about food except when he needed
    to eat, and then he would wait for hours if it was inconvenient.
    “Sir?” Angel tipped his head to one side, then the other, sizing up the TV. “You
    moved the TV.”
    “No, I didn‟t; it‟s fastened to the wall,” Kael said before remembering that he‟d
    removed the camera.
    Angel used his hands to show him. “It‟s been moved this way. I didn‟t think
    you moved anything, you being the way you are about everything being perfect.”
    Kael looked carefully. Angel was absolutely right. He had moved the TV
    fractionally and not noticed because he was so agitated about the camera. “Clever
    boy. How much would you say it was moved?”
    “One and a half inches to the right.”
    Kael was impressed. “Very observant. I agree.” Very few people would notice a
    minor change like that. Kael could always spot when things had changed in his

    Angel and the Assassin
    59

    environment, especially when it was important. He got up, eyeballed the TV, and
    moved it back, then turned to look at Angel.
    “Perfect, Sir.”
    “Go to the bedroom and wait. I want to try something.” He was pleased when
    Angel obeyed without question, leaving his plate on the coffee table. Kael looked
    around the room for something to change. He had lowered the blinds as soon as it
    got dark out, and now he raised them one inch up off the windowsill. The windows
    were big, and the change very slight.
    “Angel! Come here.” He sat down on the couch again exactly where he had
    been before.
    The boy walked back into the room and waited for him to speak. “What‟s
    different? Look around,” Kael said, checking his watch.
    He watched as Angel stood in one spot and began to scan the room exactly the
    way he would, by turning his head. “Did someone teach you to do that, boy?”
    Angel crossed his arms over his narrow chest and grinned. “You did, Sir. This
    is exactly how you found me.” Angel was a very quick study. He was doing quite
    naturally what Kael had been taught during training. Kael had a natural aptitude
    for observation and had learned at twice the rate of his colleagues, but Angel had
    picked it up just by seeing him do it once.
    “Sir, you raised the blinds about an inch.” Angel waited for corroboration, but
    by the smug look on his face, he knew he was right.
    “Good boy! Four minutes. You can get that time down to about ten seconds
    with lots of practice. Do you know how many people would still be standing here an
    hour later? About ninety-eight percent.”
    Angel clapped his hands with pleasure and wiggled his hips.
    Kael gave him three more trials, and Angel was right each time, and every
    time his speed improved. Very pleased with his boy, Kael praised him lavishly each
    time. Angel couldn‟t stop grinning, and he was holding himself so much more
    confidently that he looked as if he had grown an inch. Most people thrived on
    praise, and Kael suspected Angel had not had nearly enough of it.
    More than once Kael had thought that eventually he would like to teach new
    recruits, to pass on his craft. Looking at Angel now, he doubted he would get nearly
    the same satisfaction from teaching others as he was getting from teaching his boy.
    He liked seeing Angel feeling good about