The Blood of Kings

by John Michael Curlovich

  “No, I’m afraid not.” He told Justin what he had told me about the latest body being found, and asked if he had perhaps remembered anything about Grant that might have provided a clue. But he was no more help than I was.

  “Oh. Now I… I… I just have to go to my room.” He left us. It had brought up all the memories, I could tell.

  After a few more minutes the detectives left. I switched on my keyboard and began playing idly, a bit of Schubert, thinking through the day’s happenings. To work with Danilo… I was afraid I’d have dreams that night, disturbing ones about being trapped in a maze of underground corridors, chased by rats.

  Mrs. Kolarik knocked timidly at the door. “Are they gone?”

  “Yes. It was nothing, really.”

  “Do you know something about these deaths?”

  I told her about finding Grant that night. She made the expected comments about how awful it must have been, and I assured her it was.

  “Do you… do you have any idea what might have happened?” She avoided looking me in the eyes. “Or who might have done it? Or why?”

  “Not really, no.”

  “My son Steven was… I shouldn’t bother you with this.”

  I had no idea what she might have on her mind. I made the polite comment: it was no bother.

  “Steven was one of the first young men to disappear almost two years ago.”

  “Oh, Mrs., Kolarik, I’m sorry. I didn’t have any idea that—”

  “Well, no, of course not. How could you?”

  I was lost for what to say to her.

  “He was a senior in political science. I still remember how proud I was when one of his professors called him a ‘rising star’ in the department. Then he was gone. This is his apartment you’re living in.”

  Oh. Not knowing how to react, I made a neutral comment, sympathy, it must have been so hard for you.

  She seemed suddenly to be embarrassed by our conversation. “I shouldn’t trouble you with this.”

  “It’s no trouble, believe me.”

  “You have your own problems. I shouldn’t be so selfish. But having someone to talk about it with… ”

  We talked for a few more minutes, nothing substantial, mutual expressions of condolence, that kind of thing. She said goodbye and I went back to my playing.

  It was no good. A wave of restlessness had come over me. I tried to nap for a while but it was no good. I went to the pool and did some laps. Justin was there too; I hadn’t heard him go out. He was working on his springboard dives, and afterward we went out for pizza.

  Chapter Three

  Yes, there were dreams that night.

  I looked into Danilo’s eyes and seemed to lose myself there. Large, sad, dark eyes, with the whole world contained in them.

  I was at Danilo’s side, and he had his arm around me. I let him pull me inside himself.

  The pyramids loomed over us under a brilliant moon, and we made more passionate love than I had ever known.

  Always we were in darkness, or near-darkness, and having him beside me was the only thing that made it bearable. The lightest touch, the scent of his breath made me ecstatic.

  And then I woke and felt so foolish.

  * * *

  Justin got up at about the same time I did. We sat at the kitchen table eating cereal. I poured a small dish of milk for Bubastis, and she purred happily and lapped it up.

  “You look like you haven’t been sleeping well,“ Justin said.

  “I’ve been having the strangest dreams.” I knew as soon as I said it that he’d assume I was dreaming about the night I found Grant. But I didn’t want to tell him the truth. A crush on my teacher. How… undergraduate. I liked to think of myself as more sophisticated than that.

  He drank some juice. “I’m haunted by it too.” He made himself smile. “I wish I wasn’t.”

  “You’ll get over it.” I felt self-conscious at mouthing such a cliché, but I really couldn’t think of anything else to say.

  “I don’t want to, Jamie.”

  “You’ll meet someone else.”

  He fell silent. I knew what he was thinking: “You’re not over it, so how can you expect me to be?” And it was true, I wasn’t over it. The thought of that night still made me go numb, or sick to my stomach, or both. I needed Danilo, if only for that.

  I tried to change the subject. “How’s your geology class?”

  He shrugged. “I’m not cut out for science. But this one’s being taught by a grad assistant. I’ll do better. How’s Egyptology?”

  “Actually, I find it pretty intriguing. I’m not sure why.” I poured myself a glass of milk.

  “Probably because it makes you feel like you’re in one of those silly old movies you love. What’s the professor like?”

  “Danilo Semenkaru. Um… he’s gorgeous. Damn close to irresistible.”

  “That’s why.”

  I laughed. “No, it isn’t just that. There’s something about it all—the style, the design, what little I know about their culture so far—that all seems… I don’t know… right to me.”

  “How mysterious.”

  “I feel like Zita Johann in The Mummy.”

  “There, you see what I mean? Besides, I never saw it.”

  “You should. It’s a terrific movie.”

  “Maybe I will someday.” He didn’t mean a word of it. “What happens to her?”

  “Well… she goes through a lot of hell before she gets her happy ending.”

  “So do smartass boys who flirt with their professors. I don’t know why you bother with those old movies. They’re in black and white.” He wrinkled his nose to show his distaste.

  Why did I think I’d ever fit in among jocks? If I didn’t love swimming so much… “Danilo says he might be able to get me a part-time job in the department.”

  “Danilo? So we’re on a first-name basis already, are we? You move mighty fast.”

  Again, I laughed. “Or he does.”

  “He has a really odd name.”

  “It’s not odd, Justin. Just foreign.”

  “Where’s he from, then?”

  “I don’t know. Someplace in Eastern Europe, I think.”

  “Aha! Transylvania!”

  “Don’t be silly. Besides, Bela Lugosi never sounded so sexy.“

  “Boy, you’ve got it bad, haven’t you?”

  I did. And I knew it. We fell into another of those awkward silences.

  “Jamie, I don’t mean to keep dwelling on it, but… the whole thing with Grant dying the way he did… I… ”

  “Hm?”

  “I’m thinking of transferring to another school.”

  “Oh.” It was unexpected. “I’ll miss you if you do.”

  “You’re a good friend. I’d miss you too. But every time they find another body… every time I hear another rumor about someone who’s missing… I remember Grant. Even just seeing one of the other gymnasts work out makes me feel so… I don’t know if I can stand being here any more.”

  Bubastis jumped onto my lap and started purring. I rubbed her ears. “It doesn’t make any sense to me, Justin, but living here with you, even for this short time… this feels more like a home to me than anything I’ve ever known.”

  “Little lost Jamie.”

  “Don’t make fun of me.”

  “I wasn’t. I can’t transfer till the January semester at the earliest. I’ll see how things go till then.” He looked away and added, “I kind of feel that same way, though. I really would miss you.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You really want to work with mummies?”

  “I don’t know. I need a job to help occupy my mind.”

  He made his voice sweetly ironic. “A job with Danilo.”

  “Don’t be dumb, Justin. He’s my teacher. It would violate all kinds of policies.”

  “They’ve been violated before this.”

  “My own ethics haven’t.”

  “Lord, lord, lord, an athlete with a sen
se of personal ethics. What won’t they think of next?”

  “How about an athlete with a bitchy streak a mile wide?”

  Bubastis jumped onto the table and tried to get at the milk in my bowl. I let her drink.

  “You’re going to spoil her, Jamie.”

  “Good.” I put on a smug grin. “No one’s ever spoiled me. So I have to do double work to make up for it.”

  She slapped at a floating bran flake with her paw and got milk all over the tabletop. I picked her up, nuzzled her and put her on the floor. She jumped up again. Justin and I both laughed at her persistence.

  “You deserve to be spoiled, Jamie. You’re a good guy.”

  “If only someone would chase me as single-mindedly as Bubastis goes after her milk.”

  “Someone will.”

  Feeling restless, I did extra laps in the pool that morning. Tim stood at the side and watched me. His wedding had been the week before. Even at a distance I could see the ring on his left hand. Afterward he tried to talk to me. I was short with him. His eyes were so green, like Danilo’s. It was a bit unsettling.

  “Hi, Jamie.”

  “Tim.”

  “How’s it goin’?”

  “Okay, I guess.” I was as abrupt with him as I could manage.

  “Good. You deserve it.”

  “I deserve a bit of peace, don’t you think?” I toweled off and tried to ignore him.

  “What are you doing these days?”

  “Fingering dead bodies.” I walked away from him, into the locker room to get dressed. He called after me but I kept going.

  Then I headed to the fine arts building. Roland was nowhere around; it wasn’t like him to be late for a lesson. I sat down at the piano and thumbed through some music. There were some pieces by Poulenc I had never played. I started the three Movements Perpétuels, dark, restless, agitated music. It felt good under my fingers.

  After a few minutes Roland came in, without my noticing. When I had played through them the third time he finally coughed to let me know he was listening.

  “Roland. Morning.”

  “Maybe you ought to think about specializing in 20th century music, Jamie.” He crossed the room to me and thumbed through the sheets. “This is difficult stuff, and you’re playing it wonderfully. Have you been practicing them without mentioning it?”

  “No, I just found them here.”

  “Do you want to explore this repertoire more?” He sat on the bench beside me.

  “As long as I don’t have to give up my Chopin.”

  “Absolutely not. With this stuff, you’re good. With Chopin, you’re almost brilliant.”

  That “almost” stung a bit, but I knew I had a long way to go, despite what Danilo said. I started playing through them again.

  “The first one,” Roland said, “was used in Hitchcock’s Rope. He was a bigot but he had a sense of irony, I guess. A hateful little movie.”

  “I know. I’ve seen it.”

  He sat and listened. Every now and then he’d interrupt me with suggestions for fingering or technique. Sometimes he’d put his hands on top of mine, to show me the correct way to approach a passage. It wasn’t the same as when Danilo touched me. But the time passed quickly.

  Then it was time for Egyptology class. Determined not to let my crush on Danilo get the better of me, I decided to focus on the artifacts in the museum. There was so much in the Egyptian rooms, jewelry, small sculptures, ancient things from ancient tombs. Without realizing it I found myself staring into the face of Neferu-Set again. Set: The devil-god. Danilo had said there was a cult devoted to him among the kings, and here was this nephew of a pharaoh with the god’s name part of his own.

  A few other students came in, groups of two and three, and began looking around. One of the guys, who I recognized as a basketball player, started making fairly obvious jokes about it all, lame puns on mummy/mother. I didn’t much want to talk to them.

  I was curious about what else might be stored away in the sub-basements. Not actually expecting to go down, I ambled to the head of the descending staircase. It was closed off with a velvet rope; the brass fittings at either end were turning green. From it hung a notice: NO ADMITTANCE. I was tempted to step over it and go down. Even though I was sure I’d become lost down there if I did.

  There were still 20 minutes till class. I looked around. There was no one in sight. Carefully, and I hoped unobtrusively, I stepped across it and began to go downstairs. Guiltily I kept looking back over my shoulder.

  And so I didn’t see the man who was coming up. Rather elderly, grey hair, grey skin. Thick eyeglasses, bad suit. “This area is off-limits to students. Can’t you read?”

  I stuttered, “Are you an Egyptologist?”

  “I’m a Romanist, not that that makes any difference. What are you doing here?”

  “I’m… er… I’m looking for Professor Semenkaru. I’m one of his students.”

  He stared at me, not buying it. “Really.”

  “He showed me some of the storage rooms down there yesterday. In the second sub-basement.”

  “Indeed.”

  “I thought he might be down there.”

  “This stairwell is clearly posted off-limits to students. If you want professor Semenkaru, you can find him in his office. Or leave a message for him there.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  From below we heard the sound of footsteps. A moment later Danilo came up into sight. He looked from one of us to the other. “Jamie. Feld. Is there some problem?”

  “I found this student sneaking downstairs.”

  Danilo smiled. “Not sneaking, surely. Professor James Feld, this is Jamie Dunn. I’m planning to hire Jamie as my research assistant.”

  Feld looked doubtful. “You should have introduced him to everyone.”

  “Well, it just developed yesterday. Nothing’s finalized yet. You know how long it can take to get all the paperwork through. Really Feld, there’s no cause for alarm.”

  Feld muttered a few more words of disapproval and left us. Danilo laughed a bit as he watched him go, then turned to me. “You shouldn’t go down there till everything’s official. There are a lot of valuable things in storage, more than most people realize. Besides, it’s quite a maze. You could easily get lost and join the mummies without ever intending to.”

  “I just thought I might find you, that’s all.”

  “It’s no problem.” He smiled to show me that it was a problem, at least a bit of one. “Wait until we have the chance to get you orientated down there, all right?”

  “Absolutely.” I felt an inch tall.

  “And Jamie?”

  “Yes?”

  “Whatever you do, don’t go below the second sub-basement. There are several levels below it. You’re not to go there. I’ll show them to you when the time is right.”

  Still another odd statement. “Yes, Danilo.”

  “I’m perfectly serious. I don’t want you below the second sub-level. Not now, perhaps not ever. Am I being clear?”

  It was the first time he had talked to me as an authority figure. A bit to my surprise, it only made him more attractive to me.

  “Believe me, it won’t happen again.”

  Suddenly he smiled at me, a genuine smile this time. He reached up and brushed his fingers through my hair, as he had done the previous day. “Now come on. We’re both going to be late for class.”

  We climbed the stairs together. I was a bit shaken from the little conflict. “This must be the only building on campus with no elevators.”

  “There’s one at the back of the building for freight. Some of the exhibits are so heavy. But most people never go above the second floor. The money is better spent elsewhere.”

  “I was only saying, not complaining.”

  “You mustn’t let Feld intimidate you. He’ll try.”

  “I know the type.”

  “He’s the senior member of the Antiquities Department. Practically old enough to be one himself.”
r />   “Do you have trouble telling him from the mummies?”

  He laughed. “To be honest, no. Take a good look at him. Who would waste the money to embalm him?”

  I had been meaning to ask him about his status at the university. “Does ‘visiting professor’ mean you’ll be gone next year?” I made the question sound casual; but I was terrified he’d say yes.

  “Technically. But seasoned Egyptologists aren’t exactly thick on the ground.”

  “So you’ll be here for a while?”

  He brushed his fingers through my hair again and smiled at me. “I think so, yes.”

  God, how I wanted to kiss him. Each of us wanted the other. It was so clear. Neither of us could do anything about it.

  “Besides, I find I rather like Pittsburgh.”

  “So, do I, Danilo. But I’m from a farm. After Europe, this place must seem… ”

  “Uneventful?” He was wry.

  “I guess that would be one way of putting it.”

  “I find there’s a lot here that interests me. And I like this campus. It’s the largest I’ve ever worked on. All these people, all this activity. All these athletes.” He reached for my hair again; obviously he liked it.

  I backed a step away from him. “We shouldn’t. We’re student and teacher. Soon to be professor and assistant, I hope. There are standards, ethics.”

  “Do they matter to you so much?”

  “It’s not a question of them mattering to me, or you. They matter. People would disapprove. Your position here—And mine, for that matter.”

  “They couldn’t find someone else with my qualifications for what they’re paying me.”

  “Even so. They might—”

  “They won’t.” He said it so emphatically it startled me. His supreme confidence was… well, it turned me on. At the same time, I knew how impractical it was, even if he didn’t. Coach Harrison’s lesson was still not lost on me. Before I could say so he went on. “Surely the man who finds all that meaning beneath the surface of Chopin must have some idea what I am about, too.”

  He kept saying things that didn’t quite make sense to me, as if there was something there in front of me I couldn’t see, but that he expected me to. “I—I don’t want you to leave West Penn, that’s all.”