These tiny little monsters

Andrés called me this morning to ask me whether I was going to attend Renan's infamous championship. I told him I could be wrong, but the Teixeira brothers wouldn't want Taurinos' Ancient Society to pry into his event.

"How so?" His deep voice sounded worried.

"The two brothers are ruthless to animals", I explained, "this is no secret for anyone. You, for instance, Anderson, Bruno, Adriano, all of you seemed to have killed for a more justified need. But the two kill for pleasure. So they don't want to see us around much, witnessing more and more atrocity and reinforcing even more the idea we have of them being sweet little monsters."

I eventually arranged to meet Andrés on the farm Taurinos. It was risky to try to reason about the Teixeira brothers now being so close to them. Though they would be kept busy by the tournament, nothing guaranteed they would take no notice of Taurinos' Ancient Society discussing their inclinations.

We discussed the championship one more time, trying to figure out what Renan's next step was going to be. Now another question has arisen: will Guilherme follow in his brother's footsteps and make a brand new gloomy world for the animals in town?

"This is hard to answer", Andrés said shaking his head, "he seems to like these things as much as his brother, though you know how nuts Renan can be…"

He went on to tell me that from the five of us only he and I hadn't been invited to the event. Adriano got a call from Renan asking him to come without bringing anyone alone. Anderson and Bruno got the same call with the same instructions, he said.

"So, it's not like he doesn't want Taurinos' Ancient Society there, only a part of it. And it's the two of us. It seems the trouble is really you and me."

I told him the circumstances made him right. I was wondering why it had to be that way. Not that I wanted to attend the event, like when I asked Duílio to take me to a meeting without actually wanting to be present, just to check out what his reaction would be. Andrés was now looking at me silent, as though he was waiting for me to say something. I didn't. Anything I said right now would be just a load of nonsense. Certainties falling apart into uncertainties.

"Remember when you said on the phone that he was competing with someone for the prize of King of Savagery or something?"

"Course I do."

"So I think it's us he wants to compete with."

"What led you to that conclusion? The fact he didn't invite you and me to his event?"

He was silent. Didn't seem to find the reason so evident as when was questioned.

Bruno and Anderson came to the farm Taurinos after the championship. They said there would be two poets downtown challenging each other with verses spoken to music as a part of the celebration of the rebirth of Taurinos and also two shows, one being a rock show and another a Brazilian music show. Asked us whether we wanted to come along. Andrés changed the subject brusquely asking them what the outcome of the championship was. They told us that Renan had kept invict so far.

"How so, so far? Wasn't it closed today?" I was really curious.

"No, it's scheduled to run today and tomorrow," Bruno regarded me as if I showed a whole lot of uncontrolable curiosity, "why didn't you two go?"

"Because we were not invited."

The three exchanged looks for some time. Adriano asked whether Renan had called us.

"Course not, smart ass; otherwise he'd have invited us too", retorted Andrés, always very patient towards his brother.

"Why wouldn't he invite you? I can't understand." Anderson looked actually perplexed at saying it.

"You were there with him so what am I to know? Been days since I last saw him." Andrés retorted.

Anderson explained that they didn't have a single word with any of the brothers. If they were not preparing for a battle they were amid a battle. There was no concentration of their own with anything unconnected with the event. They were determined to win and the results so far seemed to prove their concentration was exactly what they needed. We were there for a while, listening to the narration of the bouts with all of the unpleasant and disgusting details of the event's very nature. I looked at Andrés and he looked at me. Definitely the little Teixeira was already in course, in motion. As a ship going nowhere. At least nowhere we'd expect him to go to.

Age of consent | Another geometry

Radio Universal: A Love Like Blood