The Cult
Page 11
An understatement to be sure, but apropos nonetheless. The narrow entrance-way opened into a large hall. Paneled in dark oak, it seemed to radiate an aura of sophistication and luxury, a comforting hush that welcomed its new visitors. The dense red carpet swallowed their footfalls, drew them deeper into the shadowed structure.
"Your rooms are, of course, upstairs."
Baxter and Zak followed their host up the wide staircase. Sunlight streamed in through the high, wide windows, making it seem as though they were ascending into the heavens. "I have to thank you again for inviting us up here…" Baxter began.
"Please. It's a pleasure to have you for the summer. Say no more about it."
Baxter wanted to say something more but, nonetheless, honored his host's request. He followed him onto the second floor and down a long hallway, to an open door.
"This is yours."
Baxter blinked. Easily three times the size of his dorm, the room was furnished with a king-size bed, a writing desk and its own small bath. Long, lead-paned windows looked out onto the back of the grounds, admitting a generous amount of daylight.
"Yeah, this will do," Baxter said, impressed.
Ashton smiled. "Very good. Settle in. I'll show Zak to his room."
Relieved to find they weren't expected to share a room, Baxter quickly unpacked his bags. The room was huge, offering more space than he could possibly use. He kicked off his shoes. The thick carpet felt good between his toes, on the bare arch of his feet. It was clean, lush like fresh-cut grass. He followed it to the window, looked out into the yard. It was a remarkable sight, a sprawling, multi-terraced affair that stretched back to the very edges of the wood. Baxter wondered how many servants were on the grounds. Maintaining the building seemed like it would be quite the effort.
"Knock, knock!"
Baxter turned and smiled. "Hey. Come on in." He took her hand and Annie flowed across the threshold into his arms. She smiled up at him as Baxter lowered his head, kissing her gently upon the lips.
"Wow. Hope my room is as nice," she said, straightening.
"I don't. Then you'll have to spend all your time in here with me."
Annie gave him the Look and he felt that familiar warmth spread through him. This was it, Baxter knew. This would be where they finally came together. Perhaps not tonight or tomorrow, but soon. That was the promise her eyes made, that their lips sealed.
"I'm glad you came," she said in a low voice.
"I'd have been a fool to stay behind."
She smiled, took his hand. "Come on, let's go look around."
Baxter slipped on his shoes and followed where she led, into a world awaiting discovery.
~*~
The manor seemed endless. Its long, narrow hallways were filled with handsomely framed paintings of recent ancestry, as well as maps of the old mines and framed articles about the Ashton family and the town that sprang up around its wealth. Sepia photos of the land as it once was stood in sharp contrast to more recent black and white images of industry in its prime. Antique globes sat unspun alongside taxidermied examples of the animals once found in the area. Just walking from room to room gave one a sense of continuity, of history writ large across this small scrap of western Pennsylvania wilderness. The manor seemed built to tell stories, a theater of the mind suggestive of the unknown lurking behind every corner.
The grounds proved just as remarkable. Though the house had not been actively used since the deaths of Ashton's parents, the extensive gardens were kept up as they had been for over a century. Just walking through them proved to be an intoxicating experience, the cumulative fragrance heady, nearly narcotic in its potency. Annie was especially enthralled, running from bloom to bloom, sampling each sweet scent in turn. Above, the sun was bright but the day mild, its mellow light providing the kind of soft-focus glow usually seen on Sunday morning religious television programming. Baxter hated to admit it but the televangelists seemed to have gotten it right; the place did look like a misplaced Eden. When the three returned, they were informed by a flinty manservant they had missed lunch, but there were cold sandwiches; supper would be at seven p.m. in the dining room.
"I think I'll wait," Annie said, "It's nearly five now. I'm going to go hit the shower." She leaned in and pecked Baxter on the cheek, then began up the stair. The two boys watched her appreciatively until she vanished around the corner.
Zak clapped his friend on the shoulder. "I don't know about you, but I'm goin' to get a sandwich."
Baxter nodded. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. I'm hungry as hell; don't want to look like a total glutton at dinner tonight." They wandered down the hallway, poking their heads in various doors, but the sandwiches were nowhere to be found. Even the kitchen was devoid of food, its stainless-steel counter-tops polished but empty. "I guess we should have followed the old guy."
Zak scratched his head. "I didn't even see where he went." They retraced their steps but the hallway was empty. Baxter looked at Zak, who shrugged. "Maybe he was just fucking with us?"
Baxter laughed. "That seems pointless and cruel. Why would he do that?"
Zak shrugged again. "Those butler guys are always evil; come on, Bax, everyone knows that."
Baxter shrugged, following Zak out the front door. "Well, I guess I do now." Baxter looked towards the horizon. The sun was still bright in spite of its distance, bronzing the rolling tree-line. Above this unfurled a ribbon of blue, a bolt of silk strewn with mountainous clouds. The air was sweet, pure, perfumed with life. "God, even breathing is a pleasure out here."
Zak sucked on his cigarette. "Eh, breathing's over-rated. You wanna help me drag in the rest of my stuff?"
Baxter shook his head. "Not really, no. I don't see why you had to bring all that crap along. "
"Gotta hone my skills, lad; these records don't spin themselves. Besides, James had the entire place wired with speakers before we got here. All the lines run directly into the library; all I have to do is plug my decks in and WHAM! Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. You said it best, Baxter. I'm the soundtrack to your fucking life."
Baxter groaned. "Zak, there's no way I'm putting up with that shit. I came up here to get away from that madness, not immerse myself in it."
Zak was about to say something but the sound of crunching gravel drowned out his words. A minivan was pulling up the driveway, a dark green Jeep Cherokee rolling up behind it. Sunlight flashed across the lead vehicle's window, obscuring its occupants, but Baxter could see the van was packed with luggage. "We've got company."
The minivan slowed to a stop before them. The passenger-side door opened and Baxter had to stifle a groan. "Hello, Chloe" he said, his summer having grown a shade less perfect.
She stepped out of the van and smiled dryly at Baxter and Zak. "Ah, the welcoming committee. James does go all out, doesn't he?"
"Glad to see you, too, beautiful," Zak said, barring his teeth. Chloe gave a mock shudder and walked past them, around the front of the van.
"Good afternoon, all!" Ashton cried, stepping through the front door. Behind him the flinty manservant bore a tray with seven long-stemmed glasses of champagne.
"So glad you could make it in time for dinner," he said, approaching his newly arrived guests. He kissed Chloe lightly on the cheek, handing her a glass.
"You would have waited and you know it," she said, sipping the beverage as if it had been in her hand all along.
Zak sneered. "Don't count on it. We showed up late for lunch and were led on with the promise of nonexistent sandwiches." If the manservant heard Zak he gave no sign, standing quietly at his master's side. "How was the trip?"
"It was fine. I slept." Chloe walked off disinterestedly.
Ashton greeted the tall man who walked towards the group. "Adam, my friend. Excellent to see you."
"James."
The bastard was handsome, Baxter had to give him that. The stranger radiated an aura of strength and vitality. Dense clusters of muscle strained against his tight clothi
ng even when standing still; it looked as though if he moved the wrong way he'd split his overly-tanned skin. His face had broad, pleasing features, his square jaw sporting a five o'clock shadow the color of sandstone. A thick braid of the same color hung halfway down his back, bound in embroidered leather bands. He looked as though he should be painted on the side of someone's van, not drinking from a dainty champagne glass in front of a pile of woman's luggage. Still, there he was, bold and somewhat bigger than life.
"Gentleman, allow me to introduce my old friend Adam Knox. Adam, this is Zachary Andello."
Adam swallowed Zak's hand in his own, smiled like a shark down at the smaller man.
"Hey, nice to meet ya," Zak said uncomfortably.
"Yeah. Nice to meet you." Adam held on to Zak's hand longer than necessary, trying to psych him out. For a long, uncomfortable moment the two simply stood staring, until Zak looked away. Adam let go with a smirk.
"And this is Baxter Knowles."
Baxter ignored the offered hand, staring Adam Knox in the eye. "Hello."
Adam nodded but said nothing, instead returning his attention to the lord of the manor. "So what fun do you have planned for us this summer, James?"
Baxter didn't hear his host's response. By now, the jeep's driver had joined them. She was lovely. And very familiar.
"Hey, James."
Wordlessly, Ashton embraced the new arrival with one arm, kissing her in the space between her left ear and shoulder. She let out a loud, barking laugh but made no move to stop him. His face vanished beneath the fan of her black hair; with slender fingers she plucked the glass from his hand and tossed back its contents. "Welcome to the manor, my dear."
She stepped back and shaded her eyes, looking up at the house.
"God, it's just like you said… amazing."
She pulled a camera up by its strap and immediately began snapping pictures.
"What a fucking tourist," Adam said, laughing.
"Get lost, asshole," she replied dismissively, keeping her eye on the viewfinder. Ashton immediately stepped in to moderate.
"Plenty of time for pictures later, my dear. Please, allow me to introduce my friends Zak and Baxter."
She turned, lowering the camera.
"M' lady," Zak said in a grand fashion, taking her hand and dropping to one knee.
She giggled, charmed by his excessive display. "Hi, Zak. I heard you spinning at a rave a few months back. I thought you were great."
Zak looked elated. "Not only is she beautiful, but she has taste!"
Ashton clapped Zak on the shoulder as he rose, then turned to Baxter.
"And this is..."
"We've met."
Ashton looked surprised by this, almost taken aback. "You have? When?"
"At the rave," Erica answered. "Baxter was nice enough to… escort me home."
"Ah," Ashton said, a strange look on his face. "I didn't know that."
"Neither did I," said Annie, joining the circle. Baxter smiled weakly but found (perhaps for the best) he had nothing to say. He decided to have a glass of champagne after all.
"Well, I suppose this just makes our little circle all the cozier," Ashton said, regaining his composure. "Why don't you new arrivals go upstairs and tidy up? The rest of you can join me for drinks in the den. Supper will be ready in a half hour."
And so, dusk at their backs, the seven filed one by one into Ashton Manor.
~*~
"Good evening all, and welcome," said Ashton, smiling. "Before we begin let me thank you again for joining me here at the manor. I cannot convey how pleased I am, how very glad I am to see you all gathered here tonight. That a handful of you might come I had merely hoped: that more than half I dared only imagine… but all of you, I can scarcely believe." He paused, looking at each of them in turn. "None of you comes to this table empty-handed," he said earnestly. "You are unique, each possessing remarkable gifts. Some of you are aware of them, others have yet to discover them. It is my sincere wish that, this summer, these gifts flourish; this is my gift to you."
No one knew quite what to say to this. Zak seemed inspired, Erica amused. Chloe appeared to be watching paint dry; Adam simply looked hungry. Baxter looked at Annie, but she only shrugged.
"Before we begin a bit of history. My great-grandfather Thomas Ashton came to this land penniless; before he died, he owned and operated Western Pennsylvania's second-largest coal mine, as well as establishing several profitable ancillary concerns. Some say it was greed that drove him, but I know better. Like the greatest of Americans, he was a pioneer, boldly forging forward into unknown territory, finding his destiny in these high hills and endless pines. He knew there was a world beyond his window, could see that opportunity must be created, not followed. All that you see before you is because of him." He raised his glass. "To those that came before us,"
There was the ring of glass on glass as they toasted and the room seemed to brighten slightly, pushing back the gathering evening. "Once again, the grounds are entirely at your disposal for the summer. The servants know you all by name and will provide whatever you may need to enjoy yourselves. You will find the larders well stocked, as well as the wine cellar. Our extensive family library is open and available, as is the spa, the riding-ring and whatever else might you might find lying around up here. For those of you with driver's licenses but no vehicles there are autos in the garage; just talk to my man there and he will give you the keys."
"Thank you, James," Annie said, smiling.
"Yeah, man, thanks again," Baxter agreed.
"Pfft. The pleasure is mine," Ashton said grandly. "While I don't expect you to hang about the old place all the time I would like to get the whole group together a few nights a week. Over the weekends, perhaps; I have some interesting things planned and they simply won't be the same without all of you there."
There was a general murmur of assent and Ashton looked pleased.
"Wonderful wine, James," Erica said, swirling the contents of her long-stemmed glass. "Chateau Pavie - 1973?"
Ashton raised an eyebrow.
"Why, yes it is… that's quite the discriminating palate you have, dear."
She shrugged. "Eh. My dad's a first-class wino."
Everyone laughed but Chloe.
"He kept the cellar pretty well stocked when I was growing up. By the time I was thirteen I was well-versed in the ways of the grape."
"Thirteen?" Annie sounded genuinely surprised.
"Sure. I dunno, I guess I started when was ten. Dad would let me have a glass of whatever he was drinking with dinner. Said he wanted to teach me to appreciate the finer things life had to offer."
Annie looked shocked.
"It was a small glass," Erica conceded.
"Oh, don't look so surprised, Annie," Chloe said. "Not everyone was raised behind a picket fence."
Annie shook her head. "Well, I'm sorry. That just doesn't sound like something a parent should do, giving a ten-year-old alcohol..."
"Come on," Zak said, leaning forward.
"… it's like child abuse."
Erica's eyes widened. "Oh, bullshit, Annie! Obviously my dad trusted me enough to let me have a little life experience. You know, so that I wasn't totally unprepared for the real world."
There was an unmistakable stress on the last two words.
"You know, in Europe…" Baxter began.
"Yes, well, I still think it's inappropriate," Annie stated flatly.
"Yes, well, you sit on that thought until it hatches," Erica replied dismissively. There was more laughter and Annie looked down into her glass, chastened.
"Ladies, please," Ashton said, ever the moderator. "Let's not be petty. First course will be served shortly. Until then." He raised his wine and they drank again, emptying their glasses. The mute manservant appeared at Ashton's shoulder, a freshly opened bottle in hand. Making a circuit around the table the old man emptied the bottle by sevenths, then soundlessly disappeared again.
"So what's with Boris ther
e?" Zak asked, nodding after the gray man.
Ashton chuckled. "Ah, Metathias. He's been with the family for... err, for a long time. Keeps the place in tip-top shape."
"Isn't he a little… well, old? I mean, shouldn't you let him retire?" Erica asked.
Ashton considered this. "Metathias would not retire unless asked, and I would never ask that of him. This is his home as surely as it is mine. To have him cease to do what he has done his entire life would be like asking him to stop breathing. He is… irreplaceable."
Erica nodded.
"Besides," Ashton added, "he makes the perfect martini."
Just then the first course arrived. The group was served by a corpulent woman in dark, ill-fitting servant's garb. She said nothing as she worked, quickly dispensing the food with her eyes cast down. Baxter marveled at her arm; the flesh had the appearance of marbleized fat, waxen and colorless in the dim candlelight.
"Thank you," Baxter said as she ambled on, his appetite now only a memory. No one else seemed to mind, tearing into their meals with abandon. Baxter sipped his wine, wondering what surprises were next.
~*~
They retired to the library. Dinner had been a remarkable, if occasionally tense, experience. For their first night together Ashton had his cook go all out, preparing an amazing five-course meal that left everyone both amazed and overstuffed. After his initial squeamishness, Baxter had joined the others, eating more in one sitting than he had in the past week. Everyone seemed ravenous, he'd noted; even Annie, who usually only pecked at her food. Now they sat contented on the leather couches and velvet chairs of the study, quietly chatting and enjoying coffee or brandy.
"How about a smoke?" Zak suggested, removing from his pocket a large, tightly rolled joint.
Erica's eyes lit up; Annie rolled hers, leaning back in her seat.
"Don't light that damn thing up in here," Adam said; it was not a request.
"Why not?" Erica challenged him.
"Because I don't want you stinking the air up with your dirt-weed."