Dominion of the Moon

by Kostas Krommydas

  He waved his stick in the air and walked unaided, showing he was just fine.

  “Vasilis, wait up!” I walked up to him and lowered my voice. “I have one last question. What’s going to happen tomorrow night, on the full moon? Do you know where they are gathering?”

  His smile vanished, and I could tell he was going to try to avoid the question. So I quickly added, “You told me the only secret you would never reveal is the walking stick, remember?”

  Vasilis looked at the moon, clearly visible from where we stood, and recited his reply. “On the night of the full moon, tread the path where two shadows follow you. One is yours. The other is the shadow of the one you will never meet. The shadow that warms you will lead the way. But first, tread the path.”

  He slung his walking stick over his shoulder like a bayonet and marched off. I watched him until he turned the corner, walking steadily for the most part. Whenever he stumbled, he would halt and find his footing again.

  I looked up at the moon, and suddenly wished to watch it set on the other side of the island.

  I drove along the coast, settling in for a long drive. Unlike Vasilis, I felt alert despite the wine. It was probably due to all the thoughts still swirling through my head, replaying everything I had heard that evening. Iro’s scarf, stained by my blood, lay on the seat behind me. I had left it there, undecided about what to do with it.

  There were few cars on the road at this hour. I wanted to drive to the Murderer’s Tower and then drive back. If I still felt alert, I would stop by the sea near my house and watch the moonset. I did not want to be too late. Poor Destine was all alone back at the house.

  I saw a car parked by the side of the road, facing the water. The surface of the water reflected the beams of the headlights, a long, shimmering replica of the line traced by the moon. As I neared, the lights in the car came on and a woman stepped out of the car. She looked in my direction, blinded by the headlights, then turned and walked to the rocks. To my surprise, I saw it was Iro. The man in the car was probably her fiancé.

  I slowed down as I drove past, wondering what they were doing out here at this late hour. A voice inside me kept telling me to turn around. Turn around, and do what? Pull up beside them and say, “Good evening, how are you?” After everything that had happened?

  I was sure her fiancé would try to punch me the next time he saw me. I thought it was none of my business, and stepped on the gas, but not for long. A few seconds later, I turned the wheel to face the sea and pulled over. Half of me wanted to turn back, the other half to drive off, ignoring this random meeting. I thumped my temples, trying to knock some sense into myself.

  I reversed, and stopped in the middle of the road. I was still undecided. A car coming behind me decided for me. I reversed and retraced my steps. I let the car take over, and slowly drove back to where I had seen them.

  I could not see their car. I imagined they had switched off the headlights to enjoy the full moon. When I reached the exact spot where they’d been parked, I saw that the car was gone. I felt like a creep, coming back to spy on a couple. Angry with myself, I reversed once again, determined to stick my original plan and drive to the Murderer’s Tower.

  As I maneuvered, the headlights shone on the rocks and I saw Iro, sitting by the water. She turned in my direction, shielding her eyes. I froze, and carefully scanned the area for her fiancé. She seemed to be all alone, and annoyed by this sudden intrusion.

  I parked the car and stepped outside. My eyes took their time adjusting to the sudden darkness. She must have been having difficulty seeing who it was, too. I heard her call out, “Miltos? Is that you?”

  I wondered what to say as I saw her stand up. Silhouetted against the bright moon, she looked like a painting. Worried, she cried out once again, “Who is it?”

  “It’s me, Andreas. We met in the woods today,” I called back, and stepped over the sharp rocks toward her.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, puzzled.

  “I was making a turn, and I saw you in the headlights.”

  “Making a turn to go where?” she asked suspiciously.

  I was impressed by her speed, her alertness. I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “I got a bit lost. I thought the Murderer’s Tower was nearby.”

  I could not see her eyes, but could feel her penetrating gaze. “The Tower is much further down the road. Strange you got lost; you took the exact same route this morning, if I’m not mistaken.” She clearly didn’t believe a word I had just said.

  I felt like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Fine,” I said, shrugging. “I was driving to the Tower and I saw you in the car, by the side of the road. A little further down the road—and believe me, I don’t know why—I decided to turn back. When I saw the car was gone, I assumed you had left, and I tried to reverse and head off in my original direction.”

  She fell silent as she took in everything I had just said. “You saw who we were?”

  “Yes, your headlights were on and you opened the car door.”

  “So why did you come back? To confront Miltos over what happened at the waterfall?”

  “No! No, I swear!” I cried out, unable to explain even to myself why I had turned back.

  “Then why?” she asked as she sat back down, still facing me.

  I regretted the words the moment they came out of my mouth. “I thought I should return your scarf.”

  She burst out laughing.

  “No, it’s true. It’s in my car. I’ll go get it if you don’t believe me.”

  “I believe you,” she cried out when she saw I meant it. “Are you going to stay, or will you head back to the Tower?”

  I laughed too, and sat beside her. She turned toward me, and her face was suddenly visible in the moonlight. Black streaks on her cheeks indicated that she had been crying before I arrived. I was surprised, but didn’t ask.

  “Do you want to tell me why you really came back, or shall we just drop it?” she asked, turning to gaze at the silver streak of moonlight on the water’s surface.

  “Let’s leave it for now. I just want to reassure you that I’m not following you,” I said earnestly. I genuinely could not explain why I had turned back.

  “Three times in a row; I don’t know if I can take that as a coincidence,” she said, throwing a pebble into the water.

  Three? I had only ever seen her twice. “We’ve only met twice: once at the waterfall, and now. When was the third time? Am I missing something?” I said, scanning my memory for any other encounters.

  Iro was silent for a moment. “That’s right, twice. I got confused.”

  I was not convinced. I turned to look at the road and asked, as casually as I could, “Is your fiancé coming back?”

  “I don’t think so,” she replied curtly. Clearly, it was a touchy subject.

  “It’s pretty here,” I said, trying to stop us from sinking into awkward silence.

  “Yes, very.” She sighed. “I don’t know what it is you are after. I just want you to know, our families may have had their differences in the past, but I’ve got nothing against you. I hope you feel the same way, because I can sense you are after something.”

  “It’s a complicated matter. I don’t think we have enough time to get into it right now.”

  “Let’s approach it, at least,” she replied, waiting for me to begin.

  “Look, Iro. I think it is best not to dwell too long on the past. We should enjoy what the present has to give.”

  “What does the present have to give?” she asked.

  “I think it gives us moments we can enjoy,” I said, pointing to the moon making its way down the horizon.

  The breeze was turning cool. “Maybe you are right,” she replied, looking at the moon.

  We both gazed at the sky, listening to the sound of the waves gently splashing against the rocks. She broke the silence first. “When are you leaving?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll go tomorrow, maybe th
e day after. I’ll see.”

  “You should stay tomorrow evening, since you are here. Tomorrow’s full moon will be unique, and you are in the best place in the world to see it.”

  “What’s so different about it?”

  “It’s a complicated matter,” she said, and smiled. “I need to be getting back; otherwise they’ll start looking for me, and I don’t think Miltos will be pleased to see you again. Especially here.”

  “I can drive you back,” I offered.

  She was adamant. “No, I’ll walk back. We shouldn’t be seen together.” She tried to get up.

  I rose and helped her to her feet. “We are not doing anything wrong,” I said, still holding her hand.

  Iro did not attempt to pull it away. I felt her stroke my palm gently. I returned the caress, entwining my fingers in hers. She looked down at our hands. Slowly, tantalizingly, our fingers met in a dance, stroking fleetingly, pressing down strongly, meeting and withdrawing, sending waves of delight from my fingertips all the way down my body.

  The lights of a passing car fell upon us like a sudden spotlight, and our hands parted abruptly, leaving a cold void between us. Iro walked past me to the road, leaving the scent that had infused the scarf behind her. I followed her. When we reached the car, she turned around and looked at me.

  “I really do have it. Would you like it back?” I asked, and she smiled.

  “No, you can give it back to me when we accidentally meet again for a fourth—sorry, third—time.”

  I was surprised she repeated the same mistake. I looked at the dark woods up the hill. “Isn’t it dangerous to go back that way?”

  “Don’t worry, it won’t be the first time. I like what your tattoo says, by the way. I wanted to tell you this morning, too. I wish I could feel what it says. I wish I could get a tattoo that said something similar.” She spoke lightly, but her words were infused with undertones of bitterness.

  “I hope you do. Do you speak Spanish?”

  “Just enough to understand that esterase siempre en mi Corazon means you will always be in my heart,” she said with a smile.

  I felt a mountain of guilt crush me. Without another word, she raised her hand in a silent farewell and turned to go.

  “Can I ask you something?” I called out. “I heard about a path: if you walk it on the night of the full moon, two shadows follow you. Any idea what that might mean?”

  In the dim starlight, I saw her face turn to stone. “There is no such path, Andreas,” she said coldly. “You can’t believe any old wives’ tale you hear on the island.”

  I was surprised at her strictness, as if I had overstepped some mark.

  “Goodnight,” she said. “I hope you return to the island someday. Take care.” She hurried off before I could even utter “You too”.

  I stayed by the car until the darkness of the forest swallowed her up, and then drove back. I wondered whether it was time to return to Maronia, to leave all the strange things happening on the island behind me. I felt terrible, letting my feelings show like that, without any restraint. It was too soon. I felt I was betraying Eva’s memory, seeking something from Iro that even I could not understand. Ever since I had met her that morning, I felt swept away by her, as if I was under a spell. Iro had not done anything to provoke this. Was I causing it, and trying to blame it on her to assuage my guilty feelings?

  By the time I reached the house, I had made up my mind, not without difficulty. I would be returning to Maronia on the first boat the following morning.

  I was surprised not to find Destine waiting for me by the garden gate. I called out her name, but received no reply. There was no sign of Destine anywhere. I ran inside and turned every single light on looking for her. Once I was certain she was not in the house, a terrible fear gripped me...

  I don’t think I slept for more than an hour that night, I was so busy looking for Destine. I walked all around the house, without finding a single trace of my dog. I then drove around until dawn, but she was nowhere to be found. I jumped in the car and drove to a print shop, to print photos of Destine along with my phone number, hoping to track her down.

  I had spoken to Vasilis, who assured me that he would spread the news. He told me not to worry, that she would be back soon. He mentioned dogs often got lost on the island, but most of them returned a few days later; something to do with the island’s magnetic fields. I found that hard to believe.

  My guess was that Destine had somehow managed to get outside while looking for me, and her curiosity had led her astray. I did not even want to contemplate that she might have met with an accident, or worse … I was going nowhere until I found her.

  Having printed out the flyers with Destine’s photo, I went to the island’s small police station. As soon as I walked in, the young policeman behind the front desk stood up and greeted me with a warm handshake. I was puzzled, unsure whether I had met him before.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. Please accept my condolences.”

  I wondered how he knew who I was. His next sentence solved the puzzle. “We heard you are on the island. We are happy a Greek colleague is doing so well abroad. I saw the video …”

  I had forgotten all about that. I quickly explained what had happened, and he eagerly assured me he would do everything he could; he even made photocopies of my flyers. He then asked if he could take a photo with me, and whether I would allow him to post the photo on social media and the police station’s website.

  I thanked him and let him take a picture. All I wanted was to find my faithful dog as soon as possible. “Anything you need, we’re right here for you!” he called out as I left.

  I resumed my search, first on foot, then by car. I stuck flyers all over Paleopolis and the port, hoping someone who had seen Destine would call me. My guilt had now doubled. I beat myself up, wishing I had returned to the house earlier, or taken her with me. I drove all the way to the Murderer’s Tower, stopping at every seaside taverna and store to ask if anyone had seen her, and to put up flyers.

  Vasilis called to let me know none of his acquaintances had any idea where she might be, either. He asked me again when I would be leaving, so he could come and say goodbye. I replied that I would not be leaving without Destine. I was angry, angry with myself. If she turned up and we could still catch a boat, I would gladly leave that very day.

  Exhausted, I stopped in the early afternoon at a small seaside taverna to grab a bite. I picked at my food, trying to eat something to keep up my strength, but my appetite was gone. I grabbed the phone as soon as it rang, hoping it would be good news. My heart sank when I saw it was Jill.

  I ignored her call, then felt bad and answered. Straight off the bat, she asked me what I was doing in a restaurant stuck in the middle of nowhere. I smiled, realizing she had been tracking me again. She sensed something was wrong, and seemed genuinely upset to hear Destine had gone missing. Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, she hastily hung up, telling me she’d call me back. A few minutes later, the phone rang again, and Jill told me that with a bit of luck she might be able to help me.

  A tiny spark of hope flared inside me as she explained she was trying to find out whether Destine’s GPS tracking chip was still functioning. It wasn’t a well-known fact that our dogs were fitted with tracking chips, and she asked me to keep the information to myself and wait for her to report back to me. She made sure not to get my hopes up, telling me that it was unlikely her chip was functioning after all this time, if it was still there. In any case, she’d keep me posted.

  As I paid, the waiter asked me where I would be watching the full moon that evening. The last thing on my mind was moonlight and romance. I drove back, praying that I would find Destine.

  By the dock, just before the turn that led up to the house, I saw a large fishing boat enter the port. Instead of fishermen and their nets, it was filled with people dressed in white, just like the group I had seen at the Sanctuary. Even more members of whatever cult they worshipped waited on the sh
ore, also dressed in white.

  I slowed down and watched as one of the passengers stepped down from the boat, holding a lit torch. He knelt down and handed it to one of the waiting men. I’d never had a problem with whatever people wanted to believe in, but these extravagant displays from this ancient cult were beginning to annoy me. I wondered whether they had taken leave of their senses, and averted my gaze.

  I pulled up outside the open garden gates, hoping to see Destine waiting for me. I had left everything wide open, just in case she returned. The house was still empty …

  I was so tired that it took me a while to realize my phone was ringing again. Seeing the US country code on the screen, I almost dropped it in my haste to answer. An old colleague of Eva’s was on the line. He explained our stroke of good luck. Destine’s tracking chip had been deactivated when she had retired, but not removed. They would be able to locate her in a short while.

  I jumped up and down in joy. We agreed to talk again when they had a location, and he would talk me through finding the coordinates of her location on my phone.

  It was already dark outside, and the last boat was leaving soon. I would be spending another night on Samothrace. I promised myself that if I found Destine, if she was unharmed, I would return to Maronia first thing in the morning. I hurriedly jumped in the shower, wanting to be ready to go as soon as I received the next call. Only then, when I finally felt slightly more relaxed, did my thoughts turn to Iro.

  Phone in hand, I approached the spot indicated by the flashing red dot on the screen. Vasilis was accompanying me, but was struggling to keep the pace. I realized that, although he was not limping, the terrain was difficult for him. We each held a flashlight in our hands, and tried to follow Destine’s signal, which kept moving. Whenever we seemed to get near it, it would move further away. I shouted her name, but received no response. She always seemed to be about a mile ahead, if the tracker could be trusted.