‘We are murderers all,’ Dana said with a small voice. ‘Soon enough we shall all be killers. You’ll see. If you don’t already, you are blind.’
‘And what was her spell about?’ Anja asked Cherry, changing the subject. She came to look at the strange girl, who shrugged. ‘You cannot speak?’
She shook her head.
‘We are all a bit weird,’ I told them defensively. ‘Aren’t we?’
Anja giggled. ‘You sure as hell are.’
‘Yes,’ I said, used to that sentiment.
Anja grinned and swept her hands around in a conciliatory gesture. ‘Don’t worry. I am famed for speaking aloud almost anywhere, mostly to myself. People found it weird. My brothers …’
‘We got suspended from three taverns for fighting,’ Alexei said happily.
‘With each other if we found none bigger than us,’ Dmitri added.
Alexei nodded. ‘There was this one place, where priests and nuns ran a winery. We forgot to pay once. It was ran by this nun. She was fat but had a kick like a mule,’ he said with a grin, indicating a missing tooth by pulling at his lip. I actually laughed briefly as he went on. ‘Think we will save the fighting for some later time now. Damn, I could use some water. Or vodka.’
‘Or beer,’ Lex agreed sullenly. ‘You have parents?’ Lex asked Albine, who was tending her face. ‘Hey, you. Kiddo.’
Albine turned her bloodshot eyes his way. ‘No. Orphan. Only had our aunt, but she was wealthy. She was happy to be rid of the trouble of taking care of us, though. Forced us to go, not years from now. She was dying, she claimed, but I think she just hated us.’ Albine’s eyes turned my way curiously, then away.
‘Sorry to hear that,’ Ulrich said and walked around, still staring at Dana. ‘Is she the only one who has killed?’
‘Self-defense,’ Dana said patiently. ‘For my sister.’ I stiffened, fighting the urge to tell them about Ferdan again.
Albine sniffled. ‘Aunt killed dogs.’
‘Dogs?’ I asked slowly.
‘Yes, dogs. Mutts. Stray beasts. Nobody said you have to kill another human. I guess your … mentors were ignorant.’
Lex grunted angrily. ‘Our guide told me it was the way it had always been done. Then Uncle …’ He shook his head.
‘Guess they are ignorant bastards, then,’ Able said as Albine hissed in pain.
‘Don’t talk like that,’ I told Able, who shrugged, embarrassed. ‘Not polite. My grandmother was far from ignorant.’ They all stared at me and looked away. The Russians were snickering. ‘Dogs, damn it,’ I cursed and glanced at Dana, who just shrugged. Ferdan meant nothing to her, apparently. ‘Why didn’t Grandmother say anything? Not that it was wise to come here anyway.’ I looked at my hand, glowing with twirling patterns.
Dana shrugged, her face unconcerned. ‘She never liked Ferdan, you know. He was company. That is all. That’s why she killed him for us.’ I choked for her lie and saw Albine’s face twist. Apparently, she thought Dana was lying again. About what part, I was not sure.
‘I’m sure she did not know an animal would or could do the trick,’ I said heavily.
Able was eyeing my hand. ‘The others have a reddish tint in the shackles. Why is yours silvery?’
‘I did something wrong, probably,’ I mumbled. They all looked at each other. ‘Your sister’s face is in a terrible shape. I think it might have to be sown.’ Albine stared at me as if I had rabies. They were all strange.
‘Yeah, good luck with that,’ Ulrich said, smiling weirdly at me while shaking his head. He glanced at Lex and Dana ferally. ‘Tomorrow, we will know more. As for me? I didn’t kill anyone to get here. Did anyone?’ The Russians were shaking their heads, so was Dana, and her eyes scourged me. I opened my mouth and shook mine as well, feeling miserable. ‘You sure, Shannon?’ Ulrich asked, and I cursed.
‘We are done with the topic.’ I shrugged. ‘Let’s just concentrate on being afraid.’
Anja nodded with a desperate grin. ‘We shall all fear. Every day of the rest of our lives, no matter how long that is,’ Anja added. ‘Damn, I wonder what time it is. I want food. How long is the day here, anyway?’
‘Hope they feed us soon,’ Lex agreed, eyeing Ulrich unhappily. ‘I could use something substantial. I’ve had only that mouthful of blood to drink from our sacrifice.’
‘As long as they don’t serve us Ron,’ Ulrich said with a hint of ferocious rage in his voice. ‘We will eat well, if we do well, no doubt. They said we are valuable.’
‘Those that survive, maybe,’ Dana said, looking at Ulrich with a small smile.
Lex crouched next to me, whispering. ‘I’ll take care of you. Don’t worry.’
‘I have always looked after myself,’ I told him darkly. ‘Or Dana has. But thanks.’
‘In here, you might need more help,’ he said helpfully. ‘With your issues,’ he added, looking bothered. ‘And if you fail again? We shall try to help you.’
Next day, I could fail again. I likely would. And they could do nothing. I nodded at him in thanks.
‘Goddamn, I could use a drink, a bottle of vodka or even some water,’ said Anja, and we agreed, even I. We sat and stared at the statues. Ulrich and Dana began to walk them through, keeping an analytical eye on the dead and their details and on each other. Agony seemed to be the common factor in the dead, stony faces.
After what seemed like ages, Albine fell asleep next to Cherry and me.
‘What is your last name?’ I asked Able.
‘Doesn’t matter now, does it?’ he answered sourly.
‘Just curious,’ I said.
Then, the door opened. It did so silently, almost shyly and very slowly. A face peeked in, then retreated. We shuffled to our feet, staring at the figure we could only barely see. Outside stood a squat, very short and fat shadow with a long, red cap. It stepped in and spoke, guttural like a mountain coughing. ‘Well, well,’ it rumbled. ‘Well bless me but what a sad litter of pups we have here, all tears and no cheers?’ It ambled forward, nearly tripping on its long, green beard and snickered to itself as it made its way to the tub.
‘What are you, I wonder?’ Dana said and smiled.
The thing twirled and put a stubby finger her way. ‘What am I? Born of the stone, and hard are my bones. I’m a tomte.’
‘A slave like we are,’ Ulrich grunted. ‘Like us, he has no boots.’
The creature stared down to his feet as if surprised by the claim. He had to move his ample belly aside as he wiggled his toes. ‘It is true. They took my boots, tore off my shoots. And yes, I do serve the lovely ladies, straight from Hades.’
‘They are beautiful to a blind man, perhaps,’ Dmitri said unhappily. ‘I once had a girl like them, hair so sticky with dirt it was dangerous to bed her, and I think I got a scar to show for it.’
‘That was my girl, brother,’ Alexei said dangerously.
‘We share everything,’ Dmitri grinned.
‘Yeah,’ Alexei agreed. ‘She was poxed.’
‘What?’ Dmitri asked in panic, and I could not help but giggle. Alexei winked at me, and I didn’t dislike them so much. It was that easy.
The tomte was shaking and purring, and we realized it was laughing. ‘No girls here, only ears. Pay mind to be careful, young fools, in this most painful of schools. Keep your traps shut or your fingers might be cut. Now.’ He ambled to the tub and waved his hands. ‘Tap the root and the song, water will come along.’ His hands glowed and the clear trickling sound of water filled our ears. We rushed to surround the tub, big enough for two, and wondered at the spring that was indeed filling the tub. The tomte was grinning to himself, his enormous wart-ridden nose shaking and his hulking shoulders heaving with pleasure.
‘Skillful, mad thing, no?’ Dana grinned.
‘Like you, perhaps,’ Anja agreed while thrilled as Dana stared at her dangerously.
‘Beware, Dana, that you shall not drown in there,’ Ulrich muttered.
The tomte growled unmistakably. He poked Ulrich in the bell
y, and the large young man huffed and folded in two. The tomte wiggled its fingers over him. ‘Spell I have, one for warts, perhaps I should let it bloom in your nose, or in your ugly toes?’ The tomte was not moving, apparently wishing for an answer from Ulrich.
Ulrich was shaking his head. ‘No, I'm fine.’
The tomte grinned, clapped my back, and again wiggled its fingers. ‘Nourish the beast and the man, slop for both creatures but no beer or mead.’ He dropped something on the ground. A seed.
A tub grew out of the air, wooden and large. It began from the seed, green and small, then quivered and turning brown, it grew planks that entwined to each other. Finally, the tub spat out a ladle. A terrible, mucky sound could be heard, and we peered inside. ‘My God,’ Albine said in horror. Indeed, the tub was not empty. Inside it was a growing gray mass of slop and definitely no beer. It was the most unappetizing dish we had ever witnessed.
‘What in hell’s name is that shit?’ Dmitri asked horrified; using the ladle to pull some of the gray stuff out of the tub, then let it drop with a sickening, mud-like sound. ‘It is like ugly clay!’
The tomte grunted. ‘Down in our home, the tomte love to feast, here we have to bow to the beast. Blame your host, lords, and ladies, up there she eats roast. It keeps you alive, even if you do not thrive.’ He walked aside with his green beard swishing. The tub was full, the spring stopped bubbling, and Alexei whooped, tearing off his robe and jumping in. The tomte stopped as if catching an important thought. He pointed a finger our way, stayed quiet for an uncannily long time and then grinned. ‘I would eat and drink before the bath if you can do the math.’ He laughed hugely, stepped out of the door that shut with an audible click, and we stared at the now empty doorway, wondering after him.
‘What the hell did he mean?’ Albine asked. ‘Math?’
‘He meant,’ I said, ‘that the bath is also our drinking water. Nobody should bathe before we have had a drink …’
We all stared at Alexei, sitting in the tub, a confused look on his face. A series of bubbles rose to the surface, and we tore him out of the water.
The sad excuse for food was terrible, tasteless, and strangely slimy and in the end, we sat in a circle and shared the ladle to use as a spoon. ‘Not sure if we can find any common ground, but eating like this? I wonder if they are trying to make us work as a team,’ Lex wondered. ‘It’s a bit like someone taking a bunch of retards into wolf-infested woods with a knife and you must cooperate or die.’ None had an opinion on that, and I know most dreamed of even the most simple dish we had ever been served. Anything but what we had before us. ‘Perhaps that tomte guy has some way of escaping,’ Lex wondered again, determined to break the morose atmosphere. ‘God, this is so bad. I want a steak. Or even proper porridge.’
‘Yeah,’ Ulrich nodded. ‘He can summon a river to whisk him away, or perhaps so much food he can kill himself with it. Fat bugger, that’s what he was. Whatever he was. I wouldn’t share our thoughts with anyone we don’t know.’
Dana shrugged. ‘Perhaps we should forget the thoughts of escape until we know what is expected of us. Or perhaps we should just cooperate with them.’
‘I bet you would not mind that,’ Dmitri grinned.
‘Just be patient,’ Dana told the man, bravely taking a mouthful of the gray matter, her face ashen.
‘I’ll go in first,’ Anja said and got up, stripped and went in. Lex and even Ulrich, despite his sorrow, both gawked at the girl.
‘That’s our sister, you two,’ Alexei said angrily.
‘You pay us to stare at her,’ Dmitri agreed.
‘Shut up,’ Anja commanded them. She hesitated, staring at Dana. Then she nodded at the Austrian. ‘Ulrich, want to join me?’ Anja asked, and the large man hesitated, stripped, and joined her. Lex looked slightly insulted, and the two Russian brothers mocked him with their long looks. I caught Anja’s eye. She was making plans. With Ulrich. And Dana was not part of that. The rest scattered in the room. Cherry and Able walked with Dana and me, and to my surprise Albine followed us.
‘Looks like they have an alliance,’ Albine told us.
‘Where do you belong?’ Dana inquired of her sweetly, and with some dislike, for had she not called her a liar?
‘I’m on my own. And I don’t like the way they mock your sister. And for another reason,’ she answered and looked bothered. ‘But I don’t like you either.’
‘Fine,’ Dana said. ‘And you?’ she asked Lex, who was walking over.
‘I …’ he stuttered and stared at Ulrich, who gave him a baleful eye from the bath. ‘I guess I’m with you. But you … never mind.’
‘I did it for my sister,’ Dana told him slowly, sorrow thrumming in her voice, and even Lex nodded at her performance. ‘It was not easy. But I won’t roll over for them.’ She shrugged her long hair to cascade down her shoulder as she gazed at Lex.
‘I understand,’ Lex said, apparently mesmerized and smiled as Dana’s beautiful face beamed up at him. They took a bath together, whispering and even laughing, and I could only stare at my sister, who was playing to win. To survive. Or did she truly like Lex? Perhaps. He was sincere if not overly brilliant. While waiting for their turn, Dmitri and Alexei created a strangely tied ball of torn hems and began to kick it around amidst the statues, whooping.
‘The dolts seem indomitable,’ Albine noted sourly.
‘They are carefree,’ I grinned. ‘I envy them.’
I was staring at them until they began whispering to each other. One shrugged to the other, and then they turned to us. ‘Hey, you two.’ Dmitri said happily. ‘My brother was wondering if you would like to play. Especially you, redhead. Says you have nice legs.’
‘Legs?’ I asked him incredulously. ‘Is he flirting? Or is he hungry?’
‘Flirting. I think. I guess so,’ Dmitri said as Alexei could not get a word out of his mouth, blushing. He went on. ‘He is always looking for that special girl, but the girls know better. Don’t worry about the dolt. How about we just play? You too, kiddo. Even the mute can join. But we don’t give mercy.’
‘You gonna play? Able? Cherry?’ I asked. Both shook their heads. Albine looked away, a tear in her eye. I stared at her, unsure why she was so sad. In the end she waved we away. ‘Nobody ever asked me to play,’ I noted and liked the idea. ‘I was always the last to be picked in any team.’
‘We don’t have much choice,’ Dmitri noted laconically. ‘But if it is any consolation, we didn’t have any friends either. Real ones. Freaks, the lot of us. Save perhaps for your sister. She seems a survivor.’
‘She is,’ I whispered, staring at Dana giggling with Lex.
‘Call it a truce?’ Alexei said carefully. ‘Something to do while not thinking about ripping each other apart. Let them make their pacts, and we just do what they say later?’
I hesitated and thought of Grandma, who had asked me to find myself. I ignored Dana’s long look and got up. ‘Fine,’ I said. I avoided Ulrich’s face as he was speaking softly to Anja. Tentatively at first, then with vigor, we kicked the ball until Dmitri hit his elbow on a statue as I kicked his legs from under him. He tripped me in his pain, thrashing on the ground, and I fell on his belly, making him throw up the unappetizing muck, and I laughed until my eyes ran with tears, and so did Dmitri. Even Anja grinned at that, gesturing for Ulrich to join us. He shook his head, his feral eyes on me. I ignored him and then even Lex joined us, leaving Dana hesitating on the side, her eyes full of wonder as she was drying her hair on her robe. I knew she had never seen me laughing with anyone.
I had fun. I had never had fun. And it all took place in a tomb full of dead, with people kicking at a rag ball.
In the end, the rest had washed, and I took the last turn and sat in the dark, in the cold water while others found uncomfortable places to lie in. All were silent, but none could sleep. The rags on the statues were stirring in the semi-dark, with some wind apparently managing to get into the room, but it was silent, so silent in there.
&
nbsp; ‘I could use a mattress,’ Lex groaned. ‘This will kill my back. I miss my bunk.’
‘If that is the only thing you miss right now, you are fine,’ Anja said mischievously, and we all laughed, curiously enough.
We were divided. Ulrich and Anja on the other side. Her brothers with them, of course. Dana and perhaps Lex on the other. And me. But I had been happy that evening as well. I had people who seemed to like me, no matter what my issues were. Or on whose side they were.
CHAPTER 7
I dreamt of Grey Downs that first night.
Once it had been a mighty fortress and a city of ancient mysteries, and I stalked the hallways, all devoid of life. I glanced at the niches and nooks of the tower, and you could see hints and whispers of old glories. A chest, once etched in gold, and fallen jewels lay abandoned in the shadows of one cold hall, a frame of a picture lay elsewhere, dusted and broken, looted and burnt. Magnificent remnants of letters were still to be seen on the walls, haunting and carved long, long ago in stone, bits of golden and red ink were still evident on the cracks. Stones had been bared beneath ancient rugs and steps bore the marks of thousands of years of wear.
In my dream, I stumbled into a foyer of some lavish, furnished room. Able was sitting there, lecturing a hunched, fat figure. I stared at the bizarre sight.
‘Now, it a slaver’s hold. One that specialized in the creation of weapons,’ he was saying with a voice not his own, rather more an adult than a kid. ‘Know, that these arms were acquired from our world, Earth and our descendants of humans once given special gifts by Cerunnos Timmerion, the former Lord of the very hold they are imprisoned in. This took place at the age he, in his arrogance, tried to make himself the lord of the Tenth world and so, in a way, as high as gods. You know something of this, but not all.’
That is what Bilac had told us, I wondered and more. Able was smiling in a self-satisfied posture, like an omnipotent professor, his thumbs under his belt, and I wondered, for he was not wearing a robe, but a white shirt and even whiter pants. He rambled on. ‘How this lord, apparently mortal had been able to do this, to grant some lowly humans the access to the powers of creation, is beyond us. Perhaps a spell or an artifact? What do you think, Shannon?’ he asked. The hunched figure turned, and I saw Grandma’s face.
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