Chương 132: Still the Ribeye

Once again, the president of Daehan Group did not send someone in his place. The long black car stopped in front of the apartment. The driver opened the rear door, but the president did not wait inside. In his dark gray suit, he walked to the entrance. When Kichan came down, he was checking his watch.

"Ready?"

"What am I supposed to bring?" The president looked him up and down. A phone. A wallet. One small bag.

"That will do." The entrance door opened again. Riphiel came out first, long ears inside her hood, a sword and small bag on her back. Argaon followed in his human form, dressed in black. He was empty-handed. Kichan asked,"No luggage?"

"Buy it for me if I need it."

"We don't get the five hundred kilos of gold until the job's done."

"You've already got a billion." Kichan shut his mouth. The president looked at each of them. His gaze paused on the ear tip showing from Riphiel's hood and on Argaon's red eyes. His expression did not change.

"If you're ready, let's go." He turned toward the car. Kichan looked at its long body.

"Are we going straight to Sector 13?"

"Get in first." The rear door opened. This time, it revealed not a heavenly stone chamber but the long, broad interior of a limousine. A low table stood between facing leather seats. Bottled water, snacks, fruit, and small plates were arranged neatly on a shelf along the wall. Riphiel's gaze stuck to the shelf. Argaon got in first. Following him, Kichan muttered,"They came better prepared than we did." The president entered last. Once the door closed, the limousine began moving slowly.

Before it left the complex, a snack bag opened. Riphiel tried the small silver tongs, then discovered her fingers were faster. She ate two thin potato chips stacked together and turned the bag over to examine the pictures.

"They have made potatoes this thin."

"They're fried," Kichan answered. Across from her, Argaon held a wrapped sandwich. He pulled once at the clear plastic. When it failed to tear, he held it out to Kichan.

"Open it."

"Do it yourself." The tips of Argaon's nails lengthened briefly.

"Not in the car." Kichan took the sandwich and unwrapped it. Argaon bit into it, then opened it to look inside. After inspecting the ham and cheese separately, he ate the rest in one mouthful. The president sat by the window reading documents. The first snack bag emptied. The second opened. Grapes disappeared from the fruit plate. Riphiel chewed them with the skins on. Argaon rolled a small apple in his palm once, then ate everything but the seeds. Kichan opened a refrigerated drawer.

Inside were small bottles of juice, water, wrapped rice cakes, and slices of cake.

"Can we eat these too?"

"They were prepared for our guests," said the president without looking up. Before he had finished, Riphiel and Argaon reached into the drawer together. Two juice caps opened in succession. Riphiel unwrapped a rice cake and smelled it. After one bite, her chewing sped up. Argaon ate the strawberry from the top of a cake first, looked at the cream on his finger, then licked it off. Kichan took only a bottle of water. By the time they crossed the Han River, only empty bags and plates remained on the table.

A small opening between the front and rear seats slid open. The secretary looked in and paused.

"Shall I bring more?" Riphiel looked up at once.

"There is more?" The secretary looked at the president. He gave a short nod. More snacks and nuts emerged from another drawer. Holding his still-unopened water, Kichan asked,"Where are we going?" No one answered immediately. Riphiel was opening a fresh bag. Argaon had placed the nut container on his lap. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Kichan looked at the president.

"Come to think of it, where is Sector 13?" The president's hand stopped over his papers. Kichan turned the bottle cap as he continued.

"Last time we went to Heaven, I got in the car and we were there." Seoul's buildings passed the windows. He was in the same black car, facing the angel who had taken him to Heaven. But this time, the car was driving normally down the road.

"Can't we go to Sector 13 the same way?" The president closed the documents. Riphiel's chewing paused. Argaon looked at him too, his hand still inside the nut container. Kichan asked,"Where exactly is it that we have to go like this?" The president glanced outside. They were entering the road to the airport.

"Sector 13 is a little different." Kichan stood the open water bottle between his knees.

"Different how?" The president did not answer at once. Riphiel put the last chip into her mouth, folded the empty bag neatly, and placed it on the table. Argaon shook the nut container. One small nut rolled inside. He opened the lid and tipped even that into his palm. Only once all the food in the limousine was gone did the president speak.

"There is only one place on Earth from which you can enter Sector 13."

"The Vatican." Kichan dropped his water bottle. It fell between the seats, but the cap was on and no water spilled. He picked it up immediately.

"The Vatican?"

"Yes." Riphiel looked at Kichan. Argaon wore the same expression. Neither knew what `the Vatican` meant. Riphiel drew her brows together a little, as she did on hearing an unfamiliar word. Argaon set the empty nut container on the table, apparently deciding it was unimportant. Kichan opened his mouth to explain, then closed it.

"We will see when we get there," Riphiel said. He looked at her as though she had taken the words from his mouth. The limousine did not use Gimpo Airport's regular entrance. A low barrier lifted, and they stopped before a separate building overlooking the runway. When the door opened, wind brought the smell of jet fuel inside. Riphiel got out first. A white private jet stood beyond the broad pavement. Shadows stretched beneath its long wings. Stairs led up to the open cabin door.

Argaon got out and stayed where he was. His red eyes moved slowly from nose to tail. He examined the wingtips, engines, and wheels, then turned to Kichan.

"We ride inside that?"

"Yeah."

"It flies?"

"It flies." Argaon looked at the aircraft again. It was the face of a dragon seeing an airplane for the first time. Riphiel walked to the stairs and took the handrail. She gripped and released the metal, then briefly laid a palm against the fuselage.

"It has neither a bird's bones nor feathers."

"Humans made it."

"Does it not fall?"

"Not usually." Her hand tightened a little on the rail. The president went up first.

"Let's depart." Kichan followed. Riphiel climbed one step at a time, looking between the runway and the aircraft. Argaon kept looking beneath the wing until he too climbed aboard. The cabin was larger than the limousine. There were facing seats and a long sofa, with a small food preparation area at the back. A flight attendant bowed in greeting. Argaon's gaze stopped on the galley. Riphiel sat by a window. She took the seat belt, pulled it once, then fastened it around her waist.

Argaon looked at his, then copied Kichan. Both stiffened as the aircraft began moving. Riphiel gripped the window frame. Argaon held the armrests and arranged his face into an unconcerned expression. The jet ran down the runway. As it gained speed, Riphiel's eyes widened. Argaon's fingers sank slightly into the inside of the armrests. The wheels left the ground. The runway dropped below the window. Buildings and cars grew small. The Han River appeared in a long curve. Riphiel brought her face close to the glass.

Argaon leaned toward the opposite window too. They looked down for a long while without relaxing their hands. They were still doing so when the flight attendant brought the first drinks. But as soon as a snack plate landed on the table, both gazes left the windows together. The first plate did not last ten minutes. The little breads, fruit, and cheese vanished cleanly. Before the attendant could take it away, Riphiel asked,"When is the next meal?"

"We will serve it shortly."

"How long is shortly?" The attendant looked at Kichan. He answered for her.

"Stay seated. It's coming." The first meal was rice, meat, and hot soup. Riphiel inspected each vegetable in her soup, yet still emptied her bowl fastest. Argaon moved the meat plate toward himself. He pushed the rice away, saying he did not need it, then brought it back when Riphiel took a spoonful. After the meal, the attendant set down dessert plates. Argaon asked,"I hear there are hot noodles too." Kichan turned.

"Who told you that?" Argaon opened the booklet beside his seat. His finger rested on a food photograph.

"Here." Below the picture was the word `ramyeon`. The attendant spoke cautiously.

"We can prepare that for you." Riphiel took the booklet too.

"I will have some as well." Two bowls of ramyeon arrived. Hot steam and a spicy smell filled the cabin. Riphiel wound noodles around her fork, blew once, and put them in her mouth. Her lips reddened, but she did not drink water. Argaon tried the broth first and opened his eyes wide.

"Spicy."

"Give it here if you don't want it." At Kichan's words, Argaon wrapped both hands around his bowl.

"Who said I don't want it?" Both bowls emptied.

"Another." This time, Riphiel spoke first. The attendant stood for a moment with the empty bowls in her hands.

"I will bring two more of the same." The jet flew above the clouds for a long time. The cabin lights dimmed. Darkness filled the windows, and the sofa became a bed. Kichan pulled on a blanket and closed his eyes. About an hour later, rustling woke him. Riphiel was opening a snack bag. Argaon stood in front of the galley. He pointed out a small rice bowl to the attendant.

"Is there more of that rice from earlier?"

"I will prepare some." A strand of the attendant's hair had fallen over her forehead. Not a hair had been out of place when they boarded. Kichan pulled the blanket over his face. A second meal came. Then snacks. Ramyeon came again. A fruit plate emptied. The night passed and the windows brightened. Kichan drank a cup of coffee. The president had been reading documents in the same posture since morning. Riphiel finished breakfast and looked at her empty plate.

"Is it lunch now?" The attendant clearing the tray stopped her hand.

"You just had breakfast."

"I know."

"Lunch will be served in three hours." Riphiel looked out the window, then at Argaon. He was counting the remaining snack bags.

"You can give us something to eat in between." The attendant kept smiling.

"What would you like?"

"Ramyeon."

"Rice too," Riphiel added. At the back, another attendant opened the refrigerator. As she looked inside, her shoulders sank briefly. Over the two days and one night, the most frequently opened doors were not the cabin doors, but the refrigerator and cupboards. By the time the arrival announcement for Rome came, the attendants were clearing the final trays. Four empty ramyeon bowls were stacked. Rice bowls, snack bags, and fruit peels piled above them. The arm holding the tray sagged a little.

Riphiel fastened her seat belt again. Argaon checked the compartment beside his seat once more for anything left. It held only wet wipes and the booklet.

"There really is nothing more now," the attendant said. Her voice was polite but lower than at her first greeting. Argaon shut the empty compartment.

"We did eat a fair amount." Kichan turned from the window.

"You only just noticed?" Riphiel looked at the empty plate before her. She had already gathered and eaten the last crumbs with the tip of her fork.

"There was a great variety of food on the airplane." The attendant's mouth lifted very slightly. Riphiel added,"The ramyeon was good too." Another attendant briefly looked up. Argaon leaned back against the armrest and narrowed his eyes in thought.

"Still, none of it beats that Hanwoo ribeye." Riphiel nodded at once.

"That is true." The corners of the tray-carrying attendant's mouth returned to their former position. The other attendant at the back looked down at the stack of empty ramyeon bowls. Kichan looked outside. Rome's rooftops were beginning to appear beneath the clouds.

"I said I'd buy it for you when the job's done."

"Until we're full," Argaon confirmed.

"I know." Riphiel pulled her seat belt once more. The airplane began descending. The attendants carried the remaining trays to the back. Just before the door closed, a small sigh disappeared beneath the engine noise.