Past Lives

by Kirsten Bij't Vuur

  Now Melissa turned serious, and observed: 'Maybe you should give her some time, John. She has been afraid for you for half a year, searched for you, feared you were dead.

  And now she finally finds you, and you've changed beyond recognition.

  So she does what used to please you, and you reject her for it. Maybe you can accept just a tiny bit of worship from her? Until she adapts?'

  It was clear that was not very palatable to him, and he replied: 'But it's demeaning for her, and embarrassing for me.'

  'Indulge her, John, she has always given you everything you wanted, now you give her leave to worship you. Seeing you water plants and pot seedlings at Frances' directions will cure her of it.'

  'All right, Mistress, I will,' John said solemnly, bowing deeply.

  At her accusing look, he said cheekily: 'Just checking how you'd like it.'

  And without consulting her men she decided to kiss him heartily, full on his mouth, leaving him a little dazed. Mortal or not, that was some kind of woman.

  When Rhoda had cried herself out, she was very tired, and Paul decided it was time to find a bed for both girls, and he motioned them to follow him.

  Rhoda did so with tired relief, but Hailee was not happy with how things

  went, she hadn't spoken to her master at all, and there was so much she yearned to hear from him.

  As she followed Paul reluctantly, Melissa decided to intervene on her behalf, and she gave John a decided hint to do something. He took it, and said: 'Can we have just one short moment to say goodnight, Paul? Hailee has feared for my life for a long time, and I haven't had a moment to spare for her.'

  He held out his arms and she fell into them, clinging to his fleshless chest, expecting to relish his comfortable smell but finding nothing, just a hint of soap. Despite his disappointment in his former favourite, the touch of her body against his caused him to shiver. The attraction was still there, but he feared it was based solely on memories.

  'Good night, dear Mast..sorry.' Her eyes were filling and her face was a study in disappointment. Relenting, John said: 'Never mind, love, just try but don't apologize if it won't come out yet. You'll get used to it in time. We'll have a nice long chat tomorrow. Good night!'

  As he saw her leave with Paul, up the stairs, to an unknown room, he felt immensely sorry for... he didn't know what for, actually. He had had such glorious dreams of the two of them sharing their lives, but they had been dreams. He had thought her out of reach, yet here she was, but the dream of being together was still that, just a dream.

  He sighed, and Aphrodite was with him in a second, wrapping him in her arms from behind, saying: 'Never mind, either she'll adapt, or she won't. Just don't set your sights on her too firmly, she may be a born worshipper, she has shown very little independent thought so far, and without that she'll never make it here. Let's turn in, and see what tomorrow will bring.'

  'She argued with me, shouted at me, told me I'd be sorry if I let Ishtar in my life. She was right! She had a brain and she had guts, where did they go?'

  Still shaking his head, John went up the stairs and up another flight to the apartment, with Aphrodite following him in anticipation of more gentle loving. This was going to be an interesting week, she was certain she would not be bored at all.

  Lukas cleared up the mess and took Melissa upstairs, where they met Paul, who came from the little room behind the privy with a very decided yawn.

  'I don't know about you two, loves of my life, but I'm dead tired and very ready to sleep,' he said. I'm glad I cleared out that little room for Aphrodite, I

  didn't expect her to share with John, of all people. She used to really dislike him, didn't she?'

  'Yes, and he was very much afraid of her. Somehow he gained a lot of courage, that little man,' Lukas said admiringly.

  'And you always were the bravest man on this world, Paul, but tonight I was more proud of you than ever.' Melissa reached out to him and stroked his cheek.

  His face fell for a moment, and he said: 'It wasn't easy, beloved, it really wasn't. But having forgiven John, I couldn't refuse her, she could help it even less. But I kept seeing her...

  And then I looked at her and realized she kept seeing me, and would keep seeing me like that until we both got another image of the same face to replace that one. It worked for me, I hope it works for her.'

  And then they really did turn in, and they held on to each other until Paul lost his tension. Slowly drifting off, Paul heard a ringing voice in his head say: 'I still think it is a mulish thing to do, shield your house and keep a portal in the cellar.' And the other voice, the one they usually didn't hear: 'But it's their own choice love, they'll probably do something about it in the morning.'

  And he made a mental note of that, to top his to-do list, then said sleepily:

  'Thanks guys, for saving our skins again. Sorry we cannot repay you with some entertainment, just too tired.'

  The male voice smirked: 'Never mind, your tenant is making up for that totally. I think he's my new favourite. Too bad you don't like guys, you really should try him, him and Lukas is just smoking together.'

  'I heard that,' said a sleepy voice on his right, 'thanks. Am I still the master, or have I been replaced?'

  'You're still it, I'm sorry we didn't get to see you in action with the goddess of love.'

  A big yawn, and then: 'She's not leaving yet, you may still get the chance.'

  And then Paul fell asleep, so he didn't hear the rest of that outrageous conversation.

  Chapter 32

  Incredibly, Paul and Lukas got some work done the next morning, whilst Melissa did her very best to arrange Victorian clothing for no less than three women. Of course, none of Melissa's stuff would fit either of them, so John offered to cycle to the manor to see if Frances had some of her own or her daughters that she could loan them.

  He returned with a beautiful gown for Aphrodite, and two slightly more modest ones for the two young women. Several older dresses were included to work in, for the girls wanted to share in everything to learn to fit in, and Aphrodite needed something to be midwife in. Frances was going to pick them up after lunch to visit Ilsa, eager to have a really experienced healer check out her daughter.

  They had a fabulous time trying on Victorian dresses, though they had some trouble to get all the layers right. Melissa helped them, and lent them the woollen shawls of Katarina's make until they got used to the cold, though it was May already and not a cold one.

  After that, she spent time with the guys, watching them work and putting in her own little effort. Aphrodite joined her for some time, watching the contours of her body to see whether the baby was readying itself for the birth.

  John spent a lot of time with both girls, working in the garden and teaching them how to ride a bicycle, but he avoided being alone with Hailee.

  He accepted her devotion graciously, treating her with gentle kindness, but not with desire or love. Her touch still gave him a shock, but he ignored it, it was just the past speaking.

  Of course this hurt Hailee immensely, as well as seeing the master exchange little intimacies with Aphrodite, who was clearly just using him to entertain herself whilst she was here. But the girl had always been used to share her god with at least one other girl, and anyway, she had no claim her master, he was way above her. She bore her fate in silence, but was starting to feel a little sorry had come. She soon came to the conclusion that her master was indeed fine, even happy, keeping the little garden immaculate, he

  even did part of the housework, not because Melissa couldn't because of her pregnancy, but because they all shared.

  'Melissa makes most of the money in this household,' he said, 'or at least had the most steady income, until she put it on hold to give the baby the best chance to grow. And even now she is sometimes fetched with a carriage to check some building materials or a large structure. She hates cooking, so we do that in turns, and she does something else. We all pitch in.'

  Hailee
felt insulted that her god had to do such demeaning work, but the master didn't seem to mind at all, he relished it. To be close to him, she let him explain everything in the garden, all the little plants, all the tools, what the weather was like, every tiny detail, until she actually started to find it interesting.

  Also, Rhoda didn't particularly like the garden, she sat on the bench in the sun, reading a book Paul had given her to learn English, which gave Hailee some time almost alone with the master. She just couldn't get herself to call him John, and she dared not call him Dionysus, so she stuck to master for now, and he accepted it. To her, he still was her master, and he would remain so until she had gotten him to love her as a man.

  Which might be never, for he seemed to actually avoid her. He used to be eager to make love to her, and she ached to have him touch her, but he didn't offer, and she had no right to ask. Working beside him, she did find his soapy smell lessened, and a tiny bit more of himself drifting her way very rarely.

  Somehow it comforted her, made her feel all would still be well, but her mind was not so positive, it told her the old master was gone, and this small shade of his proud, gorgeous personality was too much changed to feel love for his former favourite.

  They all met up for lunch, and made plans for the afternoon. Frances was planning to pick them up to check on Ilsa, and Paul and Melissa were going with Aphrodite for that. John was going to work on the plants in the new greenhouse, and he planned to take both Rhoda and Hailee, but he made it clear he wanted Lukas along for the first meeting of Rhoda with Hermes.

  Hailee's attempts to care for her master were all gently rebuffed, he made his own plate of food, and ate sparingly, and he enjoyed coffee with his lunch, he didn't want any wine. She was ecstatic when he didn't avoid touching her any longer, as they continued their talk on how both their lives had been since they had been separated.

  He was not intimate with her at all, he just put a hand on her arms as they

  talked, or stroked her hair fondly, or took her hand when she showed distress at what he told her.

  She realized it was just his normal way of connecting to the people around him, but she enjoyed it nonetheless, she had ached for his touch, and if this was all she would get from him, it would have to do.

  When Frances arrived, Melissa, Paul and Aphrodite got in the carriage, the others would take the bicycles to the manor.

  Frances and Aphrodite made their acquaintance, Frances very thankful the goddess had offered to check out her daughter, Aphrodite very interested in the woman who had more or less helped John recover, by giving him love and a goal in his life, by encouraging him to develop his Gift to do something useful with it again.

  Aphrodite liked Frances a lot, and would make sure she would not find out the goddess was sleeping with her lover for a few weeks. She felt a bit sorry for the sweet and capable woman, for even if John was not getting together with Hailee again, he would settle and raise a family, Aphrodite was convinced of that.

  But then, life had its disappointments to everyone, even to herself, as she contemplated the love she still felt for Lykos, a love that would never be returned. Maybe he would indulge her just once this visit.

  Melissa had been to Tristan's town house before, it was magnificent, but somehow still liveable, not too grand. He was already waiting for them, not his usual relaxed self, Ilsa's situation clearly oppressed him.

  He helped the ladies out of the carriage, the idea of meeting a real goddess almost overcoming his worries for his wife and unborn child.

  Greeting Aphrodite with all the elegant formality a noble lady merited, the goddess was very much impressed by this tall, well-dressed powerful man with the exquisite manners of England's upper-class.

  They followed him to the drawing-room, where Ilsa was sitting on a sofa with a book, and not a novel, but a thick volume on mathematics. She put it away when her visitors arrived, and even got up to greet Aphrodite.

  Ilsa did not look at all bad, and Melissa wondered why Tristan seemed to worry so much.

  When they were all seated, servants arrived with coffee and tea and some chocolates, and Aphrodite was stunned with delight at tasting the quality of both coffee and chocolate.

  'Of all the modern things you have here, I must admit I admire the inventors of coffee and chocolate most. No offence, Paul.'

  Paul laughed merrily, and replied: 'None taken, lady, every convenience I make can be replaced by magic, but boy did I miss coffee when I visited your country.'

  Touching her golden necklace, Aphrodite observed: 'Despite your agreeing with me, you have made a point: I'd rather do without your modern treats than without my necklace.'

  'You must be glad then, that it is not a modern convenience, it was made in your world with prolific use of magic, after all.'

  The goddess turned to Melissa and asked: 'Are you sure you cannot do without him? I want to take him back home with me, to make art by day and entertain me in the evening.'

  'I'm sorry, Aphrodite,' Melissa replied, 'I had a hard time catching him, and now I'm going to hang on to him forever. You'll just have to convince him to let you borrow him once in a while when you visit.'

  But the only admiration the goddess could see in her favourite mortal's eyes, was admiration for his divine-looking wife.

  'No chance, I'm afraid. Oh well, I'll make do with coffee and chocolate, and this lovely gold necklace.'

  And not giving anyone a chance to reply to that, she asked Ilsa: 'So how do you feel?'

  Ilsa replied: 'Actually, I feel fine,' and she did look fine, not nervous, not worried at all, 'the baby moves nicely, I have a good appetite, if the midwife didn't keep telling me the baby should already be here, I would have no problem waiting a few more weeks.'

  'May I feel your belly?' Aphrodite asked, and Ilsa affirmed and laid down on the sofa she had been sitting on.

  The goddess felt her belly in specific areas, and asked some more questions, then looked at her for a few moments, lighting up slightly.

  'I see nothing wrong with this child, it actually looks as if he is perfectly all right to stay with you for two more seven-days. Can it be you have miscalculated the due date?'

  'The midwife did that from my last period, but I'm often irregular. So you are saying everything is fine except that I will have to wait two more weeks to have my baby?'

  Aphrodite confirmed that, and said: 'To my sight and my eye, and

  centuries of experience with women in childbirth, Melissa is a lot closer to delivery than you. Her baby is already restless, eager to meet the people around him, trying to contact them through his mother's belly, yours is still quite content where he is.'

  Frances and Tristan were visibly relieved, Ilsa merely looked as if she had tried to convince the others that nothing was wrong and failed. She observed:

  'I told both of you everything was fine, but the midwife acted as if I were not entirely sane. Tristan, you will send someone to her to cancel our arrangement, I have been treated like a simpleton long enough.

  Melissa, what was the name of your friend? You seem to have real faith in her, I'll have her.'

  Aphrodite said: 'That is a wise decision, you need to trust your midwife, and she needs to listen to you, it is your body and you know it best. I'm sorry I will not be here to help you, but I'm fairly certain your baby will take at least two weeks more, maybe even three. He seems the quiet type, whereas Melissa's is very active, truly his father's son.'

  Melissa promised to give Ilsa Adison's address, with Lukas present and a doctor who had delivered babies before, she would be just fine.

  After hearing about the new arrivals from Greece, Ilsa decided to come with them to the manor, she thought she might be of use to Rhoda, to talk to her and find out what interested her, to help her make a life for herself.

  'I can't handle the factory anymore, but I get bored. Tristan needs to get back to work but he doesn't like to leave me all alone, he knows I miss work and people. I'll be happy to have a lit
tle project, and I'm very good at drawing people out.'

  Of course that was exactly what Rhoda needed, a local friend who would help her fit in and find out what she was capable of doing for a living.

  They all took their leave from Tristan, though he would probably join them right after his work was done. Melissa thought that as a future father, he resembled Lukas more than Paul, somehow becoming a father was already very real to Tristan, but of course Paul had Lukas to take on that responsibility.

  It was a squeeze, to get two heavily pregnant women in the carriage, but they managed, and soon they were at the manor, squeezing themselves out again. Melissa was very curious how Hermes would have received Rhoda, and she did not have to wait long to find out, for having heard the carriage

  drive up the lane, George and Hermes were waiting outside.

  Seeing his daughter in person, and in excellent shape and humour, George appeared relieved as well. 'I take it everything was all right?' he asked her,

  'you look radiant.'

  Ilsa replied: 'I am fine and so is the baby, I was right, it, he, is not due for two more weeks. Aphrodite says he is not yet eager to meet us, and she also says, Melissa's little boy is, he will be coming very soon.'

  George now remembered his duties as host, and approached the beautiful goddess, who might just look even more ravishing in a Victorian dress than in her usual classical attire, Melissa hadn't decided yet.

  Before George could say anything, the goddess hugged him with enthusiasm, held him at arms' length, and said: 'The famous English friend, George. I'm so pleased to finally meet you, you have no idea how much infatuated praise I have heard being heaped upon your person by both my brother and my nephew!'

  Poor George looked rather overcome, not only at being embraced by a stunningly beautiful woman, but at Hermes and Lukas praising him to a goddess.