permanent guest

"Who are you again?" I asked.

"I said call me Reizo." The man gave me a lopsided smile. "Look, I don't think you can pronounce my real name, so just deal with it." He frowned slightly, examining my expression. It was hard to describe the fellow before me. It felt as if he was immensely strong, but his lanky figure gave none of that impression. His clothing seemed to change color every now and then, but usually was a mixture of black and red. It also seemed to vary between a long trenchcoat with a tight vest, a robe, and slick leather with a cloak. It was as if this stranger had such an ambivalence within him that it manifested itself in his clothing. It was also as if he wasn't a stranger.

He suddenly cocked an eyebrow. "You look like you want to ask me something else."

"Oh," I muttered, trying to snap back into reality. Like that was going to happen with this guy around. "Well, umm, yes. Yes, there's something very important I'd like to ask you." I took a deep breath, trying to search for words and simultaneously not to blow up on this guy. Nothing elegant came to mind, so I spewed, "Why the frig are you on my blog?"

"Ah yes, well, there's a little story to that, now isn't there." The wanderer said it as if it were both a statement and a question that I was to answer. He fell silent, as if recalling the series of events that led to his taking up residence on my blog. Well, score 1 for the cryptic team.

"But why did it have to be my blog? Hello? Couldn't you all like pack up and move your stuff off my webspace?" The words didn't seem very nice coming out of my mouth, but I really didn't need random people clogging up my airwaves.

"Hey, I'm already set up here." He gestured to the elaborate array of belongings seemingly dumped in a few piles behind him, along with the rock that had mysteriously appeared along with him. I was pretty sure there were no rocks there before either, not to mention tufts of grass growing from around it, but nevermind that. "And no, you can't dissuade me from staying."

I sighed, deciding I better not press further. "Well, since you're here, do you want something to drink?" I settled a goblet into my hand, then twirled it in the air a few times.

"I'll take one of those agnoberry wines you've got back there," he murmured, somehow back in deep, contemplative thought. As if anyone can make that kind of transition. But was that really thought? It seemed as if he was listening to something distant. Or maybe someone.

Not stopping to wonder how he knew my selection, I flipped open the cabinet and withdrew a flask. Having poured out a half-goblet for each of us, I offered him his share and tried again to strike up a conversation. "So from where do you hail?"

"Far away. I think it's--" He paused momentarily, his eyes sliding up and to the left. "That way." He pointed somewhere behind him.

That's specific. Especially in cyberspace. "Might I know of the place?"

"I think not. It's like really far away." Uh huh. "It's actually kinda hard to explain how I got here because, well, 'cause I don't totally remember." He thought again. "Yeah, something like that." He scratched his head momentarily.

My brow furrowed. No way could that have happened. It's just that no one can be that distorted unless... "Were you--"

"Yeah, it happens," he interrupted. "Try not to talk about it too much. People can get a bit jittery." As if I wasn't already.

"May I ask how--"

"No, and you wouldn't believe me anyway." This guy was full of answers. I got the feeling that his trend would be more prominent than I wanted. He also felt like a big-time know-it-all. This would probably make the list, too.

I searched for something I could get a clear answer to. Not coming up with anything, I asked, "Anything you can tell me?"

Reizo frowned momentarily. "Yes, but no," he decided. At that, he got up and moved back to his piles of stuff. Which left me hanging.