The Wizards of Central Park West_Ultimate Urban Fantasy

by Arjay Lewis

  Marlowe and Eugenia cried out, but Frisha lunged at Eddie, and jammed a large stickpin into his arm. Eddie bellowed in pain, as two uniformed officers grabbed the old woman and pulled her off of Eddie.

  “Didn’t see that comin’ did ye?” Frisha cackled as the two officers handcuffed her.

  Eddie pulled the needle free from his arm. He felt hot and dizzy, and the terrace moved under him.

  “Should we get a doctor?” Jacobs asked.

  “No, no,” Marlowe took the pin from Eddie’s hand and gave it a quick perusal. “I have a friend who is a doctor, right nearby.”

  Marlowe’s face swam up in front of Eddie’s vision. “Eddie, you must come with me right away.”

  Eddie was pulled by the old man. He could hear Captain Jacobs’ voice, and Luis talked back to him soothingly. But everything else appeared to have the consistency of soft taffy, which shifted and melted around him.

  “Eddie, listen to me, you’ve been poisoned,” Marlowe pulled Eddie through the dark foliage. “Try to stay with me. Your life depends on it.”

  Eddie wanted to form words but his mouth didn’t work. He couldn’t sense where his feet were and he felt himself falling into blackness.

  Sixty-Four

  Eddie opened his eyes to see sunlight streaming into his bedroom. He sat up in pajamas, only to find his head hurt so badly that he reached up with the expectation that a manhole cover rested on it.

  Despite the pain, he carefully slid to the edge of the bed and stood up. It was his bedroom, in his own house.

  He walked to the door, pulled it open, and stumbled into the hall. He was winded and felt like a very old man.

  “Eddie,” Eleanor rushed up the stairs from the kitchen. “What are you doing out of bed?”

  “I…I…how did I…?” Eddie stuttered, annoyed that this small attempt at words was so difficult.

  “Ah, the patient is up,” Marlowe came up from the kitchen. He wore a red and white striped apron on top of a short-sleeve shirt and long pants.

  “What day is it?” Eddie brought his hand to his head to try to quell the pain.

  “Wednesday,” Marlowe remarked. “Nice to see you up and around so soon.”

  “Wednesday?” Eddie frowned. “But the last thing I remember, it was Sunday night.”

  “And you are lucky to be alive, Edward Berman,” Eleanor told him. “Now, go back to bed before Cerise gets home.”

  “Wha—?” Eddie tried to fathom what Cerise would be doing home. “I’ve got to go to work—”

  “You don’t have to worry about that,” Marlowe guided Eddie in the direction of his room. “You’re on vacation.”

  “Vacation?” Eddie repeated.

  “Well, that’s what happens when a police officer cracks a big case. Oh, by the way, Frisha confessed. Her public defender filed a plea of ‘Not Guilty By Reason Of Insanity.’ I think the poor old girl will end up in a mental institution for the rest of her life, which will no longer be the augmented life of a wizard. Her powers are gone.”

  Marlowe gently escorted Eddie toward his bed.

  “But how did I get here?” Eddie asked

  “Teleported you directly here. You see, earlier that night, I noticed a plant on your table.”

  “Yeah, Luis brought it," Eddie fought to remember. “Kinda ugly, though.”

  “You are very lucky he did. It was flowering wormwood. The only cure for the poison Frisha injected you with.”

  “Wormwood? The plant with the ugly yellow flowers?” Eddie said.

  “Yes.”

  “The same thing showed up in Riftstone’s autopsy,” Eddie mumbled, and felt as if that was years ago.

  “Hmm. I guess he took the wormwood to inoculate himself from Frisha’s poison if she had attempted to use it on him.”

  “Didn’t save him,” Eddie testified, as Marlowe pulled a sheet over him.

  “Yes, and I have a theory about that. Riftstone was a prophet. As I told you a prophet can always see his own end.”

  “What went wrong?”

  “I believe Riftstone saw that he could not defeat the Great Evil. But, he knew that you could. So, he sacrificed himself, allowed himself to be killed, so that you would be summoned.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  Marlowe shrugged. “Mayhaps we shall know in time.”

  “So, what are you doing here?”

  “I was sure my potion from the wormwood would save you, but I decided to stay and keep an eye on you. I had no pressing engagements.”

  “My head—” Eddie put a hand to his forehead.

  “Ah yes, that,“ Marlowe pulled a small paper packet out of his pocket and mixed some dried leaves in a glass of water on the bedside table. “Here, drink this.”

  “You’re kidding,” Eddie observed the brown detritus as it floated in the water. “Why would I ever trust you again?”

  “You want the headache to go away?”

  Eddie gulped the tainted liquid down, grimaced, and lay back in the bed.

  “Sleep some more,” Marlowe said. “You’ll feel better this evening.”

  Eddie didn’t think he could sleep, but he closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he found the shadows had grown long and the setting sun peeked through the Venetian blinds. His headache was gone, and he felt vitality course through him.

  He quickly showered and shaved, got dressed, and walked down into the dining room as Douglas set dishes on the table for dinner.

  “Dad!” Douglas put down the stack of plates and ran to his father to give him a hug.

  “Hey, son. You guys been keeping the house together while your old man’s been laid up?”

  “Sure thing, Dad.” Doug smiled up at him. “You gave us a scare.”

  “I’m all right now, Doug,” Eddie smiled back.

  The kitchen door opened, and Cerise walked out to give Eddie a kiss. She pulled away, and Eddie, in a catlike movement, grabbed her and kissed her again, hard and with passion.

  “Dang!” Doug complained. “That’s gross.”

  Cerise parted from Eddie, her eyes half-closed and dreamy. “We’ll see about more of that later.”

  “Without an audience,” Eddie glanced to his embarrassed son.

  Eleanor came out of the kitchen and walked over to hug Eddie as Marlowe watched from the doorway.

  “How do you feel, Eddie?” Marlowe leaned against the doorjamb.

  “Great!” Eddie nodded.

  “I hope you’re up to a dinner party!” Cerise gave Eddie one last peck as the doorbell rang.

  “You’d better get it, dearie,” Eleanor suggested.

  Eddie walked to the door and discovered Luis and Maria on the other side. They both yelled, and ran into Eddie’s arms.

  “Thank you so much for saving my Rosita,” Maria had tears in her eyes.

  “Couldn’t have done it without Luis,” Eddie confessed.

  “We’re naming our next child after you,” Luis announced.

  “You mean you’re—” Eddie stared at Maria.

  “No, no,” Maria blushed bright red. “We’re not expecting.”

  “But give us a month or two,” Luis patted her ample rump.

  Maria slapped Luis’s hand away and they all laughed.

  There was another ring at the door, and Eddie opened it to find Eugenia, Drusilicus, and Ahbay. They each held gifts. Drusilicus brought wine, Eugenia offered flowers, and Ahbay offered a box wrapped in a beautiful Japanese silk textile.

  Cerise walked over and touched the shiny fabric. “Ooh. What is that?”

  “It is a traditional wrapping, known as fukusa,” Ahbay said as he offered the gift with both hands. “The gift itself is less formal: mochi. That is a chewy rice cake filled with sweet bean paste.”

  “Why…um…thank you so much!” Eddie said.

  “We enjoyed ourselves so much the last time, we thought another visit was in order before we left.” Eugenia wore a very fashionable black velvet dress that showed off her figure.
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  “Without having to be concerned about saving the world,” Ahbay added, in an elegant, and quite modern, velvet sports coat. He again had a vest with Japanese symbols, but it was a royal blue silk, and set off the black of the velvet nicely.

  “Glad to see you’re up and about, lieutenant,” Drusilicus greeted. As always, he wore a gray Armani suit and a state-of-the-art tie.

  With the breakfast table moved into the dining room, there were enough seats for everyone. The dinner was phenomenal, a creation of Eleanor and Marlowe working together. There was a roast turkey, with side dishes that looked unusual but were very tasty. For dessert, there were two kinds of pie, and a frozen lemon confection with a meringue that was like eating a sweet whisper.

  “I am leaving for Europe tonight,” Eugenia told the others.

  “Are you flying out of Newark?” Cerise asked.

  “Something like that,” Ahbay smirked. “I must return to Japan and China to resume my duties.”

  “But you simply must come visit,” Eugenia told Cerise. “You will be our honored guests.”

  “When we get a chance,” Eddie acknowledged. “I’ve got to get back to work myself.”

  “Eddie, you’re off,” Luis broke in. “Jacobs gave us both two weeks off for solving the case. We are not due back for a week-and-a-half.”

  “Really?” Eddie considered this.

  “Yes, we made the papers, my friend. We got a call from Manhattan North. Captain Seville says he could use the two best homicide detectives in the city. He was talking full reinstatement.”

  “What about Captain Jacobs?” Eddie frowned.

  “He wants us to stay,” Luis shrugged. “But he won’t stand in our way. He knows the Central Park Precinct isn’t the most exciting assignment in New York. It’s our decision.”

  Eddie looked over at Marlowe and the others. “Well, Central Park is a place of power. Why don’t we stay there, partner?”

  Luis smiled. “Fine with me, bro.” Maria hugged his arm.

  “A week-and-a-half off,” Eddie picked up his dishes.

  “Eddie, you are the guest of honor.” Cerise rose to take the plates from Eddie’s hands. “I wanted to make up for your ruined birthday party.”

  Eddie held onto the dishes and gave her a quick kiss. “That’s okay. I want to talk to Marlowe in the kitchen.”

  The two men disappeared and the dinner party went on, everyone having just one more taste of the fantastic desserts. Eddie and Marlowe reappeared, cleared the dishes, and joined the others.

  At about eleven, Luis and Maria said they had to leave, and Eddie escorted them to the door. As they got into their car, Ahbay and Eugenia stepped out of the house.

  “It has been quite exciting,” Eugenia confided. “I do hope you have a chance to learn how to use your powers more succinctly. I see great things for you, Edward.”

  “I’ll do my best,” Eddie promised.

  “I am sure.” Ahbay volunteered. “Eddie Berman, you have the makings of a great Magus.”

  “By the way, how come they didn’t name any arches after you guys?”

  Ahbay and Eugenia smiled.

  “Actually, one arch was named for my current persona,” Ahbay explained modestly. “Ōbaru can mean egg, but it also means ‘oval.’ Therefore, Oval Arch is named in my honor.”

  “And I have always had a fondness for children, though none of my own,” Eugenia sighed. “Playmates Arch is the name I requested to honor me.”

  “Well, it’s better than all those ‘Flintstone’ names,” Eddie said. “I guess I’ll see you around.”

  “Blessed be,” Ahbay and Eugenia said in unison as they walked down the street toward the park.

  “I must be going as well.” Drusilicus approached the door. “Though I must say, I enjoyed spending time with your family.” Then he added almost guiltily. “They are very—what’s the word—genuine.”

  “How’s that?”

  Drusilicus looked at his feet. “They don’t put on airs, like most of the people I associate with.”

  “Thanks, Dru,” Eddie held out his hand. “I want to apologize for misjudging you—”

  “I must admit, I misjudged you as well,” Drusilicus took the offered hand in a firm handshake. “You went down into that hole and did what needed to be done. You are already a Magus, lieutenant.”

  Eddie smiled. “I think you can call me Eddie. Have you seen Caleb? Are you going to give him the staff back?”

  Drusilicus thought for a moment. “No, to both questions. In hindsight, I think he’s a puffed-up little shit.”

  “My, my. I could learn to like you, Drusilicus.”

  “Don’t push it,” Drusilicus countered, then smiled as well. “Perhaps I have come to see things from a different perspective?”

  “See you around?”

  “Of that I have no doubt, Eddie Berman.”

  Marlowe came out, as he put on his coat and carried his walking stick.

  “Well, Eddie. I suppose I shall have to start your regular training soon.”

  “We’ve done pretty well so far.”

  “We’ve been lucky. No doubt, the Divine guided your hand. But with some practice, you will be prepared for whatever comes.”

  “I meant to ask you, about that plant Luis brought—”

  “The one that saved your life?” Marlowe questioned.

  “He told me some guy at the flower store told him to buy it. Who was that?”

  Marlowe shrugged. “Undoubtably, one who walks the path. We all try to use our abilities to help in whatever ways we can.”

  “Ask around, will you?”

  “I shall,” Marlowe gave a nod. “Enjoy your vacation.”

  “You’re sure what I asked isn’t a problem?”

  “Eddie, it will be my pleasure.” Marlowe jauntily swung his cane as he walked off.

  “Give my best to Daniel,” Eddie yelled after him, “and tell that crazy ghost of yours I owe him a game of checkers.”

  Epilogue

  Eddie was mysterious the next morning when he insisted that Cerise call off work until the fifth of July. She tried to protest, but he was so excited, she finally agreed.

  Then he told her to pack a bag with beach clothes.

  “We can’t go on a vacation, Eddie, it would cost too much.”

  “Won’t cost a cent,” Eddie assured her.

  “What about air fare?”

  “Don’t need it.”

  “Even staying at the Jersey shore costs too much, especially over the Fourth of July weekend.”

  “Just pack, sweetheart, I’ll take care of the rest.”

  “But the boys—“

  “Are old enough to get themselves to school for two more days. Momma can handle them. Look at her, she’s a new woman. Besides, I already asked her.”

  “All right, you crazy man, I will pack.”

  “Good.”

  At noon she was done. She’d packed light, two small bags. Eddie finished with his own suitcase and smiled at her. He was wearing shorts and a Hawaiian shirt.

  “Ready?”

  “I suppose. This is so unlike you. You never do things spur of the moment.”

  “Well, life’s short. It’s time I did!” Eddie explained.

  “You two have a good time,” Eleanor held the front door open for them.

  “I’ll call,” Eddie told her.

  Eleanor shook her head. “Just go, have fun.”

  They walked out of the house, and instead of heading for Cerise’s car, Eddie turned and headed down the street.

  “So where are we going?” Cerise caught up with him. “Are we going to spend a week at the community pool?”

  Eddie smiled and hummed to himself. The day was balmy and warm and the sun beat down on them. They reached the small park and Eddie turned toward the woods.

  “Is there anyone around?” Eddie asked.

  Cerise glanced up the street. “No, I don’t think so.”

  Eddie’s smile grew broader. He waved
his hand and his staff appeared like a magic trick.

  “Hold on to me,” Eddie took her arm as they plunged into the woods and ducked under the low branches.

  “But where are we going?”

  “I made a promise to you,” Eddie told her. “I haven’t been able to keep it, until now. I thought it was time.”

  A cool breeze blew past them, and the temperature seemed to drop a little. The light shifted and became less harsh. It was still quite warm, but not the same heat as a few minutes earlier. Cerise looked at the trees and noticed that they were different. They were oddly stilted, and the trunks were fat and round.

  “What is happening?” Cerise puzzled. “What did you do to the trees?”

  “I didn’t do a thing to them,” Eddie smiled. “But, they do look different, don’t they?”

  “Yes, but why—”

  They emerged from the trees, and before them was a sandy white beach and an entire ocean of the bluest water Cerise had ever seen. Her mouth dropped open as she watched a sailboat on the horizon.

  “It’s not possible!” she looked back at their path.

  “Oh, yes it is,” Eddie beamed.

  “It looks like…like…”

  “Aruba.”

  “Like a postcard. But we can’t…I mean…we just—”

  “I forgot the good news.” Eddie pointed to a huge adobe-style ten-story building not five hundred yards down the beach. “See that hotel just there?”

  “Yes”

  “We have the Presidential Suite in that hotel for the next week and a half with all amenities. Everything paid for by our friend Marlowe.”

  “How could he afford it?”

  “He says ’Money is the easiest thing to manifest,’” Eddie said.

  “What does that mean?”

  “I’m not sure. But I intend to find out,” Eddie put down the suitcases and took Cerise in his arms. “Happy second honeymoon.”

  “A real one!” she kissed him.

  He released her, they picked up their bags, and hand in hand they walked off to the hotel as they giggled like newlyweds.

  The End