“What about my frying pan?” Jake had never ‘felt’ an eye-roll but it was as plain as the derision in Black’s voice.

“Perhaps you wish to copulate with the widow while she is in stasis? Would you like to bounce the children upon your knee? Don’t be absurd; douse the fire and do your best to not leave any trace of your presence. They will be lucid within the next fifteen minutes, by which time you must be gone!” The urgency of the Knife’s words lent speed to Jake’s efforts. He kicked his bike to life in less than ten minutes and as he rode away, Black’s sigh of relief was plain in Jake’s mind.

“Alright Black, what the hell was that all about?” Jake growled. He had never liked being ordered around by people he didn’t trust, which was why his stint in the Marines was a painful memory to him. Following the orders of a green Second-Looie who knew more about the rules than he did his men had been more than enough to last him a lifetime.

“I have been aware for more than 5,000 of your years; as such I have developed the tendency to command, to compel the human I am bonded with to do what is needed. I cannot control you, only compel or coerce. I said before, you have some wisdom for a young human male. Perhaps I spoke too quickly.” His sly tone and obvious distain brought a quick grin to Jake’s face.

As he twisted the throttle and thundered into the night, Jake threw his head back and laughed loud and long at the irony of hearing a 5,000-year-old talking knife tell him he had no ‘wisdom’