Dominion of the Moon

by Kostas Krommydas

  She had me pinned there, her thighs keeping me a prisoner to the ground. Her nails scratched my chest as her moans became louder, accompanying the frenzied dance of our bodies. It was impossible to control myself any longer. I made to pull away, to protect her. She roughly pushed me back against the stones, showing me we would be finishing together what had begun when we first met so many years ago.

  The cave, the beach, the island all melted away as wave after rapturous wave of unbridled pleasure rippled through our bodies, the world swaying with us in this primal dance. Our bodies alight, we moved in tandem like puppets no longer in control of their bodies. This river of drunken delight that coursed through my veins seemed to know no end. Her spasms became stronger, became mine, as if we were one body. She trembled and quivered as her body burned up, consumed by the fire that spread through our loins as we scaled the mountain of pleasure and reached its peak.

  Gently, she lay against me, our bodies still one, and we lay still as she stroked the scratches on my chest. The weather seemed to calm as our ragged breaths slowed. It was as if nature’s startling outburst had coincided with our sudden union.

  A few minutes later, all was tranquil, our bodies and the sky above. I kept silent, unfamiliar with the kind of words usually spoken at such moments. I stroked her arms gently as her fingers gingerly touched my neck and my lips. I picked up the dress and covered her back, pulling her closer to keep her warm. I have no idea how long we lay there, sheltering in each other’s arms. Zoe was playing with the medal hanging from the chain around my neck. She was trying to make out the engraving in the dim light.

  “It’s my name,” I said, anticipating her question. “Our winged goddess is engraved on the other side. Were it not for this award, I would not be here today …”

  She examined it for another moment, twirling it between her fingers, then ceremoniously placed it on my naked chest. “Andreas Stais,” she whispered, and thus the hard journey of parting began.

  It felt like my heart was torn from my chest when she rose and pulled on her dress. Following her lead, I grabbed my trousers. She knelt on the cave floor, folding the clothes she had brought. Ill at ease once again, I knelt beside her and took her hand in mine. “Please don’t leave.”

  A dark shadow crossed her face, and for the first time I became convinced she would not be changing her mind. She rose carefully to avoid hitting the roof of the cave, and gave me a small tug, urging me to get up. “It’s time to head back, Andreas. It will be dark soon.”

  My spirits sank when I heard that. We gathered everything we had brought and stepped outside the cave. The dark clouds were galloping away, to spread their wrath over other seas and lands. The sun hung low on the horizon, and it was true we had to hurry if we wanted to return safely. The humidity left behind by the rain rose from the thick white pebbles in misty tufts.

  Without a word, we walked to the small waterfall. Zoe drank thirstily. She then stepped aside for me to join her. Despondently, I shook my head. Sensing my despair, she turned to face me. “When we are back at the house, I will decide if I stay. For all we know, you might not have a job tomorrow and I might end up in jail.”

  I followed her as she climbed back up the rocks, thinking about how the realization of our union had surpassed anything I had ever imagined. With a violent jolt, I returned to the present. The gaping chasms opening up inside me at the thought of parting weighed down my feet as I dragged them behind her …

  In the tower’s courtyard, Simon filled a large burlap sack with the tools they would need. The paving stones were slippery after the storm. Soon, it would be nightfall. The torches and candles offered all the light that they needed. He quickly tied a rope around the mouth of the sack, through which two thick wooden poles protruded.

  Varvis stomped toward him, followed by Alexandros. “I’m going to see the policeman, see if they found Stais,” he barked. “Then I’ll go meet our man at the port. I will find you on the estate once I am done. Start digging now that the ground is soft. Just be careful not to break anything. It was all buried in haste back then. Wait a while and then go; make sure no one sees you. We need to unearth everything by dawn. That’s when the boat leaves.”

  “Don’t worry, boss, it will all be done in time. Make sure you keep the archaeologist away, and leave the rest up to me.”

  Varvis turned to go, but Alexandros hovered beside Simon. “What’s in the sack?” he asked with childish innocence. He received no reply.

  His father pulled him away gently, urging him to hurry. “Let’s go, we’ll be late. It’s work tools. Come, follow me.”

  Without another word, the child followed his father, keeping his eyes on the steward as he departed. Simon hastily followed them, and bolted the large wooden door behind them. He then took an old dagger attached to his belt and examined it.

  Marika, who had been watching everything from the shadows, made her presence known. “I see you keep my gift on you at all times.”

  Although startled, Simon turned an expressionless face toward her. “I have never parted with it since that day …”

  They exchanged a hungry look, ready to pounce on each other. Marika took the dagger and sat on the stone bench, testing the blade against her palm. “Once he gets the money from the foreigner, we have to decide what we’ll do.”

  Simon placed a rough palm over her mouth. “Everything will happen in good time. Tonight we must dig everything up. If the Americans find them, they will go to the museum and it will all be over. Nicholas has arranged to be paid tonight. Then, we’ll see how we go about it.”

  She looked at him with a frown. “What happened with the archaeologist? Have they found him?”

  “Not yet. He will have to reappear eventually. The policeman doesn’t want to lock him up, not without any evidence, especially after today’s fiasco. I still wonder what happened to all the things he hid at the house. Anyway, the important thing is that everything goes well tonight. Then, it won’t matter what they do …”

  Still fondling the knife, Marika raised a leg onto the bench, letting the fabric of her dress fall down her thigh. Simon’s breathing became heavier, and he wiped his forehead. Having achieved the desired effect, Marika pushed the folds of her dress back down, covering her legs.

  “What about that woman who is always with him? Know anything about her?” she asked, changing the subject.

  He took a deep breath and fumbled with the sack. “I heard they’d met during the war and somehow he saved her life. They met again by chance … I didn’t ask for more details.” He hauled the sack onto his shoulder. “It’s time for me to go. We’ll all be back by sunrise.”

  He turned to go, but Marika grabbed his hand and pulled herself up. Their breaths met as she brought her face against his. She raised the dagger and pressed its blade against his chest. Their lips came closer as their fingers entwined around the dagger’s handle.

  “You forgot this …” she breathed heavily, then pushed him away, vanishing under the passageway. Simon, disappointment chasing away the glow that had briefly lit his eyes, clipped the blade to his belt and stormed out of the courtyard.

  We would shortly be arriving at Paleopolis. It was already after midnight, the trek back proving slow and arduous in the dark. I confess I did not expect the walk back to be this pleasant. All the while Zoe had been in a cheerful mood, sharing stories of her life before the war. She had wanted to be a singer back then, and was studying at a conservatory in Thessaloniki. She even sang a couple of verses of a French song in a beautiful, clear voice.

  Despite the pleasant reminiscences, however, I felt tormented by the thought of her impending departure at dawn. I did not broach the subject. After what had happened at the cave, I sensed she felt the same.

  I did not know if all women were like her, but I could have stopped anywhere just to feel her body against mine once again. My passion had not been spent and, while she spoke, her moans against the sounds of the storm swirled dreamily in my mind.

/>   When we spotted the lights of the village in the distance, she stopped and turned toward me in the dark. “Let’s go to the Sanctuary, the Winged Victory, please. We can talk there, and I’ll answer the question you asked at the beach.”

  A small spark of hope suddenly burned brightly inside me. “Let’s go,” I cried out enthusiastically, leading her by the hand.

  I avoided all the busy alleys and, following an overgrown footpath, we arrived at the top terrace. The guard was sure to be at the lower terrace, next to the building that would house the museum one day. I didn’t think anyone would be out looking for us at this late hour. Luckily, I knew the area well and could avoid all the fallen pieces of marble.

  We shortly arrived at the trench. The torso rested against a makeshift wooden support; it would be transferred to the museum in the coming days. The other pieces we had unearthed would soon follow, and then it could be reassembled. I felt a tinge of guilt at the thought that I should have been here, helping everyone. Once the matter of the police was settled, I would throw myself into work. I also determined to stop at the cemetery on the way back to the house. My guilt might not have prevented me from spending the entire day with Zoe, but now I felt I needed to stand beside my mother even for a few moments, having neglected her entirely that day.

  I dropped our things on the ground, and we sat at the edge of the trench, feet dangling inside. A chorus of crickets filled the night air with their relentless chirps, bidding goodbye to the fading summer. Gazing at the statue, Zoe resumed her story.

  “As I said, I wanted to be a singer before the war. When the Germans entered Thessaloniki, it all came to a stop. I watched as people I knew disappeared or lost their lives, and everyone pressed me to join the guerillas. I did not. I always believed that if you try to win a war with another war, you enter a battle that will never end. Only love can chase away hatred. It makes death seem small and insignificant. If people acted with love, there never would be war. At the same time, I did things very few people knew about, things that were more helpful than picking up a gun and killing anyone who crossed my path, be they German or Greek.”

  I did not know what to say. It sounded more like a confession than a story, so I kept silent, letting her take her time.

  “One day, someone mentioned to the Germans that I was a singer. Drunk as they were, they asked me to sing a French song for them in the middle of the square. I refused at first, but then they threatened to kill a child. I sang. Yes, I committed that crime … I sang for the occupiers. That same night, a group of men were waiting outside my house. They accused me of being a traitor, of betraying my country with that song …”

  Her voice broke, and she swallowed hard. I reached for her hand in compassion, but she pulled it away, determined to go on.

  “They took me to a house and tortured me, violated me, telling me that that was the punishment for my crime. When they let me go, I was at death’s door. A midwife nursed my wounds, saved me. She told me that I would never be able to have children … That is something you should know … I can’t take any more pain …”

  Shocked, I listened to her, unable to utter a word. She took a deep breath. “Time healed my body, but not my soul. Today, for the first time, I felt the ice that has gripped my soul begin to thaw …”

  I could not see her, but sensed the hot tears running down her cheeks. I did not know what to say, how to comfort her. With a sigh, she talked on.

  “When I found out my brothers were dead, I no longer cared about my life. I stayed on in the village, to help others and try to forget. Then, like an angel, you appeared. You saved me, and then we lost one another. When you reappeared, I felt as if a higher force had sent you into my life again.”

  She turned toward me. “Andreas, I have never felt like this before. All these years I kept away from people, afraid. A while ago I decided to trust someone, but even he …” She brushed away her tears, her voice breaking. “I saw the next person to hurt me in the face of every man I met …”

  I couldn’t bear to see her tormented like this. I took her hand. “Don’t think of all this, Zoe. It’s the past, it’s gone …”

  She raised a finger to my lips, shushing me. “Let me finish my story. I want you to know who I am, and then you can decide if you want me to stay. If you still want to, we ….”

  However, I was more determined than ever that the past be left behind. “I don’t care about the past,” I said firmly. “You look at anyone’s past and all you’ll find is misery and pain. All I ever wanted was to find you again. Fate brought us back together. What happened at the cave … my body is still trembling …”

  “Mine too …” she whispered, pulling nearer.

  I pulled her even closer. She straddled my lap. Kissing me tenderly all the while, she unbuttoned my trousers and raised the skirt of her dress, bringing her hips closer. She cast a furtive look around to make sure no one was watching, and then took me inside her gently.

  Catching me off guard once again, all I could do was hold her in my arms as she swayed against me, silently surrendering to the waves of pleasure that washed over me. Our union beneath the statue of the Winged Victory had none of the ferocity of our lovemaking at the cave, but was more intense as I slowly moved inside her. Whenever I opened my eyes, dizzy, quavering with ecstasy, I would catch a glimpse of the white marble of the statue that had played its part in our reunion, and now silently bore witness to its divine completion.

  Her breathing got heavier, and a small moan escaped her lips. I placed my hand over her mouth to stifle her cries. She rocked her body gently, with increasing tempo. I could not control what was coming, and I surrendered to the deepest, most intense sensation I had ever felt.

  Biting my lip to stifle the urge to cry out as I approached climax, I pulled her face against my shoulder and felt her tears soak the nape of my neck. I could sense they were not tears of sadness. It had taken me years to make a woman mine, and now I felt as if my thirst would never be satiated. I had always been afraid I would not know what to do when that moment came, but now everything was happening so naturally. Her trembling lips met mine and I tasted her salty tears as we both found release.

  An otherworldly silence fell over the Sanctuary. Even the crickets were silent. All that moved was the soft breeze bringing the scent of the sea over the island, a hint of jasmine, a hint of thyme as it ruffled the bushes around us and we, calmly, tenderly, rested in each other’s arms.

  I felt the chain slip down my torso and grabbed it, pulling it out carefully.

  “I’m sorry, is it broken?” she asked with a worried frown.

  I placed it in my pocket. “I’m amazed it lasted that long, after everything it’s been through today,” I joked. “Don’t worry. I’ll have it fixed tomorrow.”

  The sharp crack of a snapping twig made her jump up, hastily brushing her dress down. I looked around in the dark, but all I could make out were the lanterns that lit the entrance to the lower terrace. “Must be an animal,” I soothed her.

  Indeed, a pair of bright eyes sparkled among the tall weeds before the fox revealed itself. It stared at us for a moment, then at the statue, unable to make sense of the beings that had invaded her territory. She then turned around and disappeared into the bushes.

  Zoe smiled and helped me up. “Now that you know everything about me, you can ask me again. Just know that you are under no obligation to repeat the quest—”

  “Will you stay?” I interrupted, without hesitation.

  “I don’t think I can do otherwise, Andreas. Events seem to be conspiring to bring us closer to one another.”

  I did not know how to express the joy I felt. I let out a happy cry, pulled her close, and covered her face with kisses.

  “This is how we’ll do it,” she said, firmly placing her hands on my shoulders to emphasize her words. “We’ll make a deal.”

  “Anything you want,” I said with unbridled enthusiasm.

  “I’ll return to Maronia at dawn. I have to tak
e care of some business there. I also have no clothes with me here. I will return in a week when things have settled down here. Besides, you have your winged goddess to attend to right now.” She pointed to the statue. “Provided I’m not arrested at the port.”

  I didn’t know what to say. I did not want her to go. On the other hand, everything she had just said made sense. “No one will arrest you. I want you to do what you feel is best,” I mumbled.

  “And when I’m back, we’ll live one day at a time, whether good or bad. Agreed?”

  “Agreed!” I nodded enthusiastically. Besides, the more I thought about it, the more her plan made sense. I had to focus on work, on finding a new place to live.

  “I will have found a place for us by the time you get back,” I said. “Then, possibly during winter, I could start building a house on a small plot of land we own …”

  “One day at a time,” she repeated, temporarily halting my dreams.

  “Yes. One day at a time.”

  The creak of a wooden door opening rang out from the side of the museum, and Vasilis appeared at the porch, holding a lantern. He couldn’t see us in the dark, but I pointed at a bush and signaled that Zoe should hide there, just in case. Then I carefully moved toward Vasilis. He worked as a night guard some nights and slept here, but I didn’t know he had a shift that night. I approached, giving a low whistle as a signal, and he jumped high in the air like a startled cat. He raised his lantern and came nearer when he realized it was me.

  “Are you on your own?” I whispered.

  “Andreas,” he hollered. “Where have you been all day? We were worried!”