The rest of the day passed quickly because we were kept very busy.
Paul and Lukas worked on their commissions, and I had an inspection for Mr Millner, two hours of work for a nice fee.
I used the bicycle to take me there, still wondering why so few people used one. I found no structural faults, fortunately, and signed off on the building with a good feeling. When I came back, Paul had finished his gun, he even had bought some cartridges already to try it out this afternoon, in the wasteland, which we were planning to visit on our way over to the Nomes', to check for ways to remove the taint of the stolen magic.
Tristan had asked us to do this, to compare notes with his own findings. After lunch we took the bicycles to the wasteland, and went in. It was totally deserted now, except for some birds, gulls and pigeons, looking for the food scraps the rejected children no longer used.
We climbed over the thrash, moving steadily towards the sickening spot where the node with stolen power was, and it was clear all three of us felt its influence, feeling more nauseous with every step we set towards it.
'How close can we get to it?' I asked.
Paul answered: 'It cannot hurt us, except for making us sick and depressed, the memories attached to it could make Lukas very depressed and physically unwell because he is very sensitive to emotions, but they cannot harm his body permanently.
We could even use the power, it's just power, but then we would feel the emotions as badly and get sick with the harm associated with it.
If you just shield it out a tiny bit, we can walk over that spot with no danger to ourselves.'
'But what about the people who died from it?' Lukas asked.
'It was not the power that killed them, but the influence its taint had on the water they drank. You know water in a city is usually dirty and not very good
to drink.'
We both nodded, and Lukas said: 'Boiling it makes it better, doesn't it?'
Paul replied: 'It does, but the water in this river is not just polluted with human and animal excrement and offal from the slaughterhouses, it also contains chemicals from the tanners and from the other factories along it, and somehow boiling doesn't help to remove those.
In any case, it seems the corrupted power makes the unhealthy things in the water stronger, making the water deadly to children and weakened adults, pregnant women, people with consumption, the elderly.'
That explained the deaths, and now I put up shields to keep the nausea out and walked straight into the affected area.
On the edge of the phosphorescent spot I used my sight to look deeper into the earth, planning to use my own power first, then use either the ley-line or Paul's if that wasn't enough. I needed to use my own power to build it up, like muscles, and memory. It had to be used to improve, even if it could be very tiring to do so.
On the surface, nothing was visible except to sight, the phosphorescence was already lessening in strength, probably because the power fuelling it was leaking away but no longer being replaced. I was curious why the site glowed greenish instead of the sickly red of the stolen power, so I traced the phosphorescence down below the surface, and saw a zone in which the greenish tinge changed to the expected red.
Zooming in on that zone, I thought I saw pockets of green, fed by the red power. I observed to Paul and Lukas: 'It seems as if the phosphorescent stuff is feeding off the power, it must be the greenish stuff that is poisonous, not the power itself.'
Paul asked: 'Do you think it's alive?' Watching more closely, I could see the stuff multiply where it touched the power, and I replied: 'I think it is, it behaves as if it is a living thing, multiplying and moving up.'
Looking deeper into the ground I saw the 'node', a big black block of basalt stone, pulsating with the power, leaking through natural faults in the stone.
Coming back to the now I said: 'There is a big block of basalt in there, filled to the brim with power, and leaking through the natural cracks in the stone.
Would it be harmful if the power was released all at once?'
After a short pause, Paul replied: 'I guess not, some would sink into the ground, but most would flow back to the ley-line, losing its taint in the
process of moving through the soil.
Remember, the taint is not physical, it is spiritual, it cannot stand long against water and air and plant-life now the person controlling it is dead.'
'All right then, what if I were to enlarge the natural cracks in the stone until it burst open and all the power was released?
It would be better than leaching its poison bit by bit, strengthening the disease carried by the river, wouldn't it?'
I asked this, guessing I would be able to widen the cracks by now, which I wasn't certain of at all. Aware of this, Paul said: 'I guess you might be able to do that, yes, though stone is quite strong stuff.
Let's tell Tristan, let him decide, he probably has an opinion on this as well, and he's the one facing the consequences if more people die.'
And then it was time to try out the gun, which we wisely did behind one of the ruins, where we were not as exposed, either to onlookers or to bullets flying in the wrong direction.
Paul loaded the gun with the cartridge, asked us to step a way to a safe distance, and fired the gun at the wall.
It gave a loud crack, and a big piece of plaster was smashed out of the wall in a cloud of dust, disintegrated before it hit the ground.
'Wow,' Lukas exclaimed, 'that is killing!'
And indeed, if the black mage had packed a gun like that, Paul would not have been standing here next to us. Even though I still believed that Lukas'
father was not going to manage cracking the seal on the portal, I still felt a bit of relief that Paul now had a weapon that someone from a different dimension would not recognize, nor be able to defend against.
Killing a god would be an unimaginable sin, but I'd do it myself if needed to defend my dear friend. 'Can you hit anything?' Lukas asked Paul.
Stacking a few odds and ends, Paul fired two more shots, hitting a pot with one, and missing a piece of timber with the other. Then he handed it to Lukas, who was clearly eager to try.
The gun seemed overlarge in his smaller hands, but he was a lot stronger than he looked and very well-muscled from working the metal, so I didn't fear the gun's power would hurt him.
The thing went off with another crack, and Lukas hit the pot, which had been righted before his attempt.
But he also missed the piece of timber, which I supposed was to be expected.
Shooting needed practice as much as any other skill.
Lukas now sounded positively bloodthirsty: 'Fortunately my father is a lot bigger than that piece of wood.'
I wisely kept my mouth shut, I couldn't imagine him really shooting his dad to kill, not this feeling man that I loved so much, it was probably the exhilaration at shooting a gun speaking.
Paul offered me the gun, and I really wanted to try, but I was afraid of its strength as well.
But he stood behind me, held his hands over mine the first time, and I aimed and shot.
I missed, but now I knew how much force it would give back, and I had heard the crack in my ear. So I asked to try again, on my own.
I took careful aim and fired, at the piece of timber. And hit it! And now I could understand Lukas' talk, for this gave me such a feeling of power that it scared me.
It was worse than making a fireball or throwing one, and worse than putting that guy out with a slap with raw power behind it. This had no cost, it was just aim and shoot, nothing personal.
I quickly returned the gun, and was glad to leave the wasteland for the beautiful garden of the Nomes family, where we would undoubtedly be received with fabulous coffee and strange and worried looks, we had after all apparently lost our talents overnight.
The afternoon was as uneventful as one might call healing the last child in a long line.
The boy, Max, was like Felicity in that he remembered nothing of his recent pas
t, and quite a bit from before. There was every reason to expect that his parents still lived, and that they would want their boy back.
He was a bit more aware after the treatment, and that was all we had hoped for, only time would tell if more recovery was possible. Jonathan was there with the boy all the time, as he had been with all the others.
And now his self-imposed task was finished, he would stay for our party, then visit his parents and hopefully come back for an education in magic. We stayed with the family for dinner, the three of us, Tristan, who was a regular caller by now, and Jonathan, who seemed as much part of the family as Paul must have been once.
Being much of an age, we were turning into quite a set with Ilsa, Julia and
Marcus. By now we had met Jonas as well, a very likeable young artist with a distinct talent for photography, and he fitted into our group just fine.
Lukas, as ever, was getting bored with the quiet conversation, and suggested something a little more lively: 'Seeing as we're all gathered here in such a cosy way, why don't we celebrate our favourite couple's up-and-coming loss of freedom by going out? Let's all go to a dance!'
This suggestion was taken up quite readily by the young crowd, and we decided to all meet at our place and walk from there.
Tristan needed some persuading, and Jonathan too, but with a little fast talk from Lukas they soon agreed to come.
Then there was George, who clearly thought himself too old to join in with the young ones, especially since three of them were his own children. But Lukas knew he'd wanted to come to one of these dances for a long time, and he did such a good job of talking him around that Frances admitted she'd like to come too.
Paul and I looked at each other, it was quite some time ago that we went dancing, and to do so on the eve of our wedding seemed fitting somehow, though we would probably not have much chance of turning into a steady, boring couple with Lukas part of our lives.
Still, we all felt a rising excitement, and we cycled home quickly after dinner to put on some fancy clothes.
Chapter 47
It was a merry group of people walking towards the dance from our house, we were all in high spirits, and dressed to within an inch of our lives. I was wearing one of my best dresses, keeping the best for tomorrow of course, and I had done my hair in a style that would not come undone when spun around.
Paul's necklace with the little horses rested around my neck, tomorrow I would wear the golden one, to please Paul, for I was attached to the copper one and would gladly have worn it anywhere. Lukas was the heart of our group, keeping everyone entertained, chatting away and teasing Paul and me about our last night as free spirits.
To be honest, I got the feeling he was a little too cheerful, that he was a bit apprehensive about tomorrow, and I decided to take him apart as soon as the opportunity presented itself.
But first, we would dance away some of our nerves, spinning and turning on the lightning fast music.
We found a table large enough for all of us, and ordered drinks. Lukas and Marcus were off dancing straight away, asking girls to dance and spinning away on the beat of the music.
After watching one dance, Julia and Jonas were away, as well as Frances and George. They kept up beyond my expectation, and this convinced Tristan to try, asking Ilsa to dance with him, and showing a lot more elegance and athleticism than anyone of us had expected from such a bulky, reticent person.
That left Paul and Jonathan and me, Paul and me both unwilling to leave Jonathan at a table alone.
Then a blonde lady looked at Paul questioningly, and he passed that look on to me. I nodded, and he took her hand and led her to the dance-floor.
I took Jonathan's hand and said: I'm sure you learned to dance really well, let's see how much you remember.
And with a winsome smile he proved that I was right, he was a really good dancer, even at the speed at which the familiar figures were supposed to be
performed here. We spun, and turned, he led me very expertly, and soon we became quite giggly with dizziness.
After two rounds with Jonathan, Paul stole me away from him, and my heart swelled to be in his arms once more.
There was just nothing like this, the feeling of safety I experienced when I was with him, his ravishing looks, his exciting scent, the love and admiration in his eyes. I totally forgot about Jonathan, or about Lukas' forced gaiety, for the next two dances there were just two people on the whole earth, dancing under the stars, turning and turning.
But after four dances in a row I saw stars in front of my eyes as well as in the sky, and I really had to rest for a moment.
As we sat down at our table for the night, I took Paul's hand and looked at the dance-floor. Jonathan was there, dancing with a redhead, he looked even better from a distance, suddenly I realized that he looked much older than his years, like Paul.
I hoped the ladies would not ask him for one of those other rounds, but decided not to worry about it. I'd give him a hint if possible, and for the rest I would trust to his excellent sense.
Ilsa and Tristan were still dancing, looking fabulous to be honest.
Tristan's heavy body was clearly much more agile than it looked, and they made a splendid couple.
I looked for Lukas, concerned for him, and saw him dance with a stunningly beautiful black-haired girl. Paul was looking at them too, and said: 'Look at him dance, it's as if he doesn't touch the ground.
I'm looking forward to seeing you two dance again, I'll be able to enjoy it this time, not having to be jealous anymore.
Though I did think he was a bit too boisterous just now, as if something is bothering him. Will you ask him about it, or should I?'
I replied: 'I thought so too. I'll try to talk to him about it, I'm afraid he's unhappy with our marriage after all.'
But now, George came for a rest, and Marcus for a drink. George said:
'Frances is still dancing, with a young man. I wish I could, but I suppose I'll have to settle for a young girl.
Will you do me the honour, Melissa?'
And of course I wanted to dance a round with George, so I left Paul at the
table and danced with George, enjoying his skills hugely, he really was a champion and I told him so.
He smiled in fond remembrance and said: 'Frances and I used to go out dancing a lot, usually ending up with different young men afterwards. We had really good times in those days.
Though the dances weren't as fast then, and we had to do our best to escape the chaperones. There aren't any out here.
Do you think we need to warn Jonathan of what is going on in those bushes?'
I replied: 'I think we do, but I also think he can take care of himself quite well, so if someone asks before we get the chance he'll probably understand and decline.'
After that dance, George was claimed by a beautiful young woman, and Tristan asked me for a round.
I saw Paul standing up with Ilsa, making a really gorgeous couple, but then the music started and I had the pleasure of dancing with a truly strong man, catching me easily, encouraging me to trust him and let him spin me around even faster.
When the dance was through I was exhilarated, and when I thanked Tristan he smiled deprecatingly, but was still pleased.
Who could have thought that such a clumsy looking man would be so light on his feet.
He was quickly claimed by one of the blondes who cruised the dance-floor for the better dancers, looking for an exhilarating experience, always eager to try out the new faces who held themselves well on the dance-floor.
Moving towards the table, I watched Paul and Ilsa dance a second round, and though they looked fabulous together, they were clearly brother and sister rather than lovers.
I was happy to see them so close again. Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder, and smelled a familiar scent. It was Lukas. I turned around and opened my arms in an invitation for some intimacy.
He practically fell into them, wrapping his own arms around me really tightl
y, hiding his face in my bosom once again, always a sign that something was distressing him. I asked: 'Do you want to go somewhere quiet and talk about it?'
He nodded, and looked up, face pointing toward a clump of trees, saying:
'That's too open to do other things, we can sit there.
I knew Paul would expect me to be off with Lukas somewhere, so I went with him without telling anyone. I sat down in the grass with my back against a tree, and Lukas curled up on my lap, head back between my breasts, arms around me.
We sat in silence, I stroked his hair and scratched his horn bases softly, and he leaned into my caresses and relaxed. After some time he asked: 'Will you dance with me later?'
I replied: 'Of course I will dance with you, Lukas, I'd be devastated without you. You know that, don't you? Marrying Paul will not change my feelings for you.'
Looking up at me with his sweet face he said: 'I know my love, I know how much you love me, and I'm not afraid of being shut out, I want to stay with you always.
But I'm so afraid it is not meant to be, I'm still so afraid to be ripped away from you, fighting every step of the way but powerless against the might of my father.
And you'll both fight him, I just know that, and you'll be hurt, or killed. I don't want that, I want you both healthy and happy, without me if need be.
I can't shake the feeling he is coming for me, Melissa, and when he does I will go with him rather than risk him hurting the two people I love most on this world and any other.'
So that was what he had been doing tonight, saying his goodbyes to everyone, partying one last time in a world he had come to love.
I just couldn't speak, there was nothing I could say. There was nothing I wanted more than just live with Lukas and Paul, working for a living and having fun, and to be honest, I was not planning to let someone take Lukas from me just like that.
Not without a battle, even if that meant risking my life, and I was sure Paul would see things exactly the same way, having Lukas torn away from us without resistance was unthinkable.
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