May weekends bring softball to Queen City. I play, though since becoming White Owl, I've had to downplay some of my skills. Fortunately, I was always a much better fan than player. My position was always right field. Gold Line Chili sponsors our team, and Diana and I join several friends in friendly weekend competition. It helps that Diana and I are each one third owners of the Chili company.
This particular Saturday, the Peppers had actually held on to pull off a win. We were sitting in a booth at the main Gold Line, having a celebration and discussing the victory. By we, I meant Diana, my sister; her boyfriend Rick Linseed, along with Julie Allen and David Pettingill. We'd been friends with them for a long time and chatted for a long time after the game.
"I still can't believe you Athena. Where did that play come from?" asked Rick. Rick couldn't play softball with us; as a third string running back for the Cobras, he was a professional and our league was strictly amateur. Still he showed up to watch whenever he could, and usually stayed afterwards. I think he may have been coaching Diana on her batting stance--she had been getting steadily better.
"I can't believe it either," said David. "First, you make a diving catch at the fence, then you come up throwing and catch the tying run at home. Where did you get that cannon, Theena?" Julie and Diana leaned on their hands, intent to hear my excuse.
"I ah...well, I guess it was adrenaline. You think that was a throw, remind me to tell you sometime about driving off a jaguar in Columbia." They laughed and I sat back with a coy smile on my face. I saw Diana with a quizzical look on her face, and I glanced over my shoulder. My brother Alex was creeping up behind me with a cake in hand. Alex's wife Beth and their children were following right behind.
"All right, what's going on here?" I asked.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY ATHENA!" came the roar from my assembled friends and family. I blushed deep and smiled. "But my birthday isn't for another week--it's not till June!" I protested.
Alex smiled deeply and said, "We know, but I thought this would be the best way to surprise you. Because there's a special gift we need you to be prepared for." He held out a long rolled present. I opened it carefully. I furrowed my brow as I unwrapped a rolled poster. "What could this be?" I asked, carefully unrolling the artwork.
"Oh my goodness! Is he really coming?" The poster promised a night of magic under the hands of my favorite Uncle Harry. My mother's brother was billed as the great Fortescue, but we all knew him better as Harry Forte. I studied the dates on the Poster--One Night Only, June 5.
"He's coming for my birthday?" I asked in astonishment.
"Uncle Harry called me last month. We've been working to keep it secret from you for a long time," said Alex. "He wants us all to go. Beth and I have our tickets, and Diana has a date for that night too. Here are your tickets," he said, handing me a red envelope.
"Two tickets?" I asked. "Did you forget I'm single and unattached Alex?"
"No, and neither did Harry. But he insisted we all show up as couples." He hid a sly grin.
"You know I don't have time for a relationship Alex. I'm always jetting all over the world, or cooped up in the office or..."
"Good grief Athena," said Beth. "It's not marriage. Surely you can get a date for one night."
My friends all laughed, and I blushed with embarassment. "I guess I can, " I said.
"You can't ask Father Tim," said Alex. "He's off limits. You need a REAL, unattached, male for this. And someone close to your age. No fair asking the boys!"
After dinner, I had Diana drive me home. "This is a ploy to get me married off isn't it?" I demanded.
"Well you are getting older, maybe you should settle down," she laughed. "Take it easy Athena, there's no reason to go to pieces." I agreed with her and slumped upstairs. I studied my reflection in the mirror and frowned. "Am I getting old Daisy?" I asked my cat. She meowed and jumped into my lap. Absently, I stroked her as I pondered the day's events.
"Maybe I should patrol," I thought. "At least then I'll get my head cleared."
This particular Saturday, the Peppers had actually held on to pull off a win. We were sitting in a booth at the main Gold Line, having a celebration and discussing the victory. By we, I meant Diana, my sister; her boyfriend Rick Linseed, along with Julie Allen and David Pettingill. We'd been friends with them for a long time and chatted for a long time after the game.
"I still can't believe you Athena. Where did that play come from?" asked Rick. Rick couldn't play softball with us; as a third string running back for the Cobras, he was a professional and our league was strictly amateur. Still he showed up to watch whenever he could, and usually stayed afterwards. I think he may have been coaching Diana on her batting stance--she had been getting steadily better.
"I can't believe it either," said David. "First, you make a diving catch at the fence, then you come up throwing and catch the tying run at home. Where did you get that cannon, Theena?" Julie and Diana leaned on their hands, intent to hear my excuse.
"I ah...well, I guess it was adrenaline. You think that was a throw, remind me to tell you sometime about driving off a jaguar in Columbia." They laughed and I sat back with a coy smile on my face. I saw Diana with a quizzical look on her face, and I glanced over my shoulder. My brother Alex was creeping up behind me with a cake in hand. Alex's wife Beth and their children were following right behind.
"All right, what's going on here?" I asked.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY ATHENA!" came the roar from my assembled friends and family. I blushed deep and smiled. "But my birthday isn't for another week--it's not till June!" I protested.
Alex smiled deeply and said, "We know, but I thought this would be the best way to surprise you. Because there's a special gift we need you to be prepared for." He held out a long rolled present. I opened it carefully. I furrowed my brow as I unwrapped a rolled poster. "What could this be?" I asked, carefully unrolling the artwork.
"Oh my goodness! Is he really coming?" The poster promised a night of magic under the hands of my favorite Uncle Harry. My mother's brother was billed as the great Fortescue, but we all knew him better as Harry Forte. I studied the dates on the Poster--One Night Only, June 5.
"He's coming for my birthday?" I asked in astonishment.
"Uncle Harry called me last month. We've been working to keep it secret from you for a long time," said Alex. "He wants us all to go. Beth and I have our tickets, and Diana has a date for that night too. Here are your tickets," he said, handing me a red envelope.
"Two tickets?" I asked. "Did you forget I'm single and unattached Alex?"
"No, and neither did Harry. But he insisted we all show up as couples." He hid a sly grin.
"You know I don't have time for a relationship Alex. I'm always jetting all over the world, or cooped up in the office or..."
"Good grief Athena," said Beth. "It's not marriage. Surely you can get a date for one night."
My friends all laughed, and I blushed with embarassment. "I guess I can, " I said.
"You can't ask Father Tim," said Alex. "He's off limits. You need a REAL, unattached, male for this. And someone close to your age. No fair asking the boys!"
After dinner, I had Diana drive me home. "This is a ploy to get me married off isn't it?" I demanded.
"Well you are getting older, maybe you should settle down," she laughed. "Take it easy Athena, there's no reason to go to pieces." I agreed with her and slumped upstairs. I studied my reflection in the mirror and frowned. "Am I getting old Daisy?" I asked my cat. She meowed and jumped into my lap. Absently, I stroked her as I pondered the day's events.
"Maybe I should patrol," I thought. "At least then I'll get my head cleared."
The sun was setting over Kosterman Hill, reminding me the nights were truly getting shorter as the summer drew near. I decided to save my eyesight and flew east first, crossing over Victory Park and into Persimmon Hills. As I flew over the city, my patrol took me in a spiral from Persimmon Hills out to Mount Madison, then into a wide loop that tightened as I came closer to downtown. I looped over the stadiums, catching a glimpse of the Gems losing a close one to the Cardinals and sighed. As the evening wore on, I looped north up Vine and skipped over to Walnut. Queen City had a thriving entertainment district, anchored by good arts, and four different theaters for off broadway shows, music and the various concerts and productions which found good venues and willing patrons in her citizens.
I'd been to all of them, the Albee was good for plays and small shows, the Pettingill Performing Arts Center, Music Hall, and the Emory. So I was surprised to find a new theater in an old building. At least it seemed like a new theater. The marquee was well lit and glowing, announcing the Empire theater. The sign announced "Illusions of Grandeur--Nightly."
Despite the glowing sign, the building was dingy and run down. I noted the deserted parking lots on either side and the closed shops and burned out tenements nearby, I also noted that despite the gleaming marquee, there seemed to be a dearth of customers. I swooped low and landed near the theater, then approached the ticket window.
The window was empty, but the door was open. I was ready to ignore it, when I heard a scream inside the theater. I ran into the lobby, barely noticing there was no one taking tickets, selling concessions or programs. No ushers blocked me as I slipped through the lobby door into the theater. I stopped at the top step and took in the surroundings.
The theater was completely empty. No one was in the seats, and the stage was dark. Well not completely. A single stage light was burning, illuminating the stage with all of its 100 watt power. I couldn't hear anything, so I paused...listening intently. No more blood curdling screams, no sounds at all permeated the quiet theater. Had I been wrong? My senses told me no.
I stepped quietly down the aisle, past the empty seats, scanning left and right for anything out of order. Still nothing. I glided over the orchestra pit and landed on the wooden footboards. My boots made a soft clack on the wooden stage and I stepped cautiosly to the back curtain to make certain no one was back there. Checking the off stage areas, all I could see was darkness. I couldn't shake the feeling I was being watched, however.
The bulb flickered above me and I returned to center stage. My eyes scanned the floorboards; the dust was thick over the ground. But I noticed an area a bit darker than the rest of the stage. Kneeling next to the darker portion, I touched the stage with my gloves. I felt moisture through the dust--and my clove came back with a slight ruddy brown stain. "Blood?" I asked. "And it's fresh. I heard a crash from stage left and came to my feet, turning toward the sound.
A moment later, a sandbag dropped to my right. I looked up at the scaffolding and saw a pair of oversized feet retreating into the darkness. I couched to jump, and felt the floor drop out from under me. "EEEP!" I shoulted as I plummeted beneath the stage. I heard the trap door snap shut above me and I landed in a tumble at the bottom.
It was dark, though I spotted a set of glowing red eyes glaring at me. I stood to approach and felt a heavy club come crashing against my head. The red eyes went out as I spiralled to the floor.
I'd been to all of them, the Albee was good for plays and small shows, the Pettingill Performing Arts Center, Music Hall, and the Emory. So I was surprised to find a new theater in an old building. At least it seemed like a new theater. The marquee was well lit and glowing, announcing the Empire theater. The sign announced "Illusions of Grandeur--Nightly."
Despite the glowing sign, the building was dingy and run down. I noted the deserted parking lots on either side and the closed shops and burned out tenements nearby, I also noted that despite the gleaming marquee, there seemed to be a dearth of customers. I swooped low and landed near the theater, then approached the ticket window.
The window was empty, but the door was open. I was ready to ignore it, when I heard a scream inside the theater. I ran into the lobby, barely noticing there was no one taking tickets, selling concessions or programs. No ushers blocked me as I slipped through the lobby door into the theater. I stopped at the top step and took in the surroundings.
The theater was completely empty. No one was in the seats, and the stage was dark. Well not completely. A single stage light was burning, illuminating the stage with all of its 100 watt power. I couldn't hear anything, so I paused...listening intently. No more blood curdling screams, no sounds at all permeated the quiet theater. Had I been wrong? My senses told me no.
I stepped quietly down the aisle, past the empty seats, scanning left and right for anything out of order. Still nothing. I glided over the orchestra pit and landed on the wooden footboards. My boots made a soft clack on the wooden stage and I stepped cautiosly to the back curtain to make certain no one was back there. Checking the off stage areas, all I could see was darkness. I couldn't shake the feeling I was being watched, however.
The bulb flickered above me and I returned to center stage. My eyes scanned the floorboards; the dust was thick over the ground. But I noticed an area a bit darker than the rest of the stage. Kneeling next to the darker portion, I touched the stage with my gloves. I felt moisture through the dust--and my clove came back with a slight ruddy brown stain. "Blood?" I asked. "And it's fresh. I heard a crash from stage left and came to my feet, turning toward the sound.
A moment later, a sandbag dropped to my right. I looked up at the scaffolding and saw a pair of oversized feet retreating into the darkness. I couched to jump, and felt the floor drop out from under me. "EEEP!" I shoulted as I plummeted beneath the stage. I heard the trap door snap shut above me and I landed in a tumble at the bottom.
It was dark, though I spotted a set of glowing red eyes glaring at me. I stood to approach and felt a heavy club come crashing against my head. The red eyes went out as I spiralled to the floor.
I woke in a dark room. I was laying on a couch or sofa or something. The couch was lumpy and smelled of swweat and cigarette smoke. The scent in the room was dank and musty. Gazing into the gloom, my eyes slowly adjusting to the ambient light. As things began to focus for me, I could see the dim outline of a door above me and too my left. Apparently, I was in some sort of cellar or dungeon or storage room.
"Settle down Athena," I chided myself. "You were in a theater--you couldn't be too far away right now."
My eyes steadily were growing more accustomed to the darkness and I was becoming more and more aware of several large shapes in the space around me; including the glowing red eyes. They remained motionelss and I became convinced they weren't as malevolent as they first appeared. I leaned from the sofa, preparing to explore, when I heard footsteps at the doorway. The sound of bickering preceded the steps. I leaned back, still, and pricked up my ears. The voices were distinctly masculine and feminine.
"I get credit for this disaster! You'll not have her!"
"Stop being so melodramatic. You've got nothing but big Talk! I'll get her, because I always get them."
"Well, we'll just she how he feels about that," the masculine voice growled. I heard heavy clomping retreating from the door. Something in the conversation sent a chill up my spine and I shivered.
I heard a rattle at the door--the sound of metal rasping on metal and realized I had been padlocked inside. The knob rattled, the hinges squealed like a hungry cat and I saw a hand reaching in to flip a switch.
The room was bathed in the bright light of three 100 watt light bulbs and I threw an arm over my wincing face. My eyes adjusted again to the light and I saw a brunette in a showgirl's outfit mince down the stairs. Her tread was light, but her smile was forced as she approached me.
"Well, well what have we here?" she asked. The woman grabbed the handrail of the stairs and spun gracefully across the room. Her legs were long and powerful, but there was no joy in her motions. Her body was voluptuous, but she carried herself without any grace or poise. She alighted near a large wicker basket; several swords were sticking through it, I noted.
"You're certainly different from the last apprentices we had. Katie had to make costumes for them. But you came with your own." She crossed the floor, grabbed, then rubbed the Nu Silk of my costume ( and my breast too!) then danced back smirking as she paused near the basket. "Nice material," she said, rubbing her own shabby looking attire. She toyed with the pommel of a large broadsword and looked back over her shoulder at me.
"So quiet? Usually apprentices are full of questions and comments--little things like let me go, you're mad, and where the hell am I? I can't believe you're so jaded you wouldn't have anything to say to me."
I cleared my throat--her words beat against me in a staccato beat, barely giving me time to think. "I...I heard a scream," I began. "I investigated on the stage and fell. I woke up here. So where is here?"
The woman gave me a weary smile. "You're in the theater. We fulfill illusions of Grandeur here. All of life is an illusion, all of life is theater. Here we examine the issues of life and death, joy and sorrow, pain and passion and the mystery play that is life itself. You've been chosen to play a part in our latest production, as the apprentice, an eager young thing who slowly loses her perky appearance and is worn down, to a lifeless, joyless, soulless husk."
I shook my head. Her words were filling my mind, chasing the memories of my life from me. She kept up the beat, and her hypnotic patter filled me. "I'm Courtney, by the way, Courtney DeZastre. It's French you know. And since we can't have you being just "the apprentice", you'll need a name.
"Now the last apprentice was Lydia. She lasted..." Courtney's eyes rolled up into her head as she calculated, "about three days." She paused a moment, then added, "I'll bet that was the scream you heard, wasn't it?"
I nodded, swinging from the sofa. My feet hit the floor and I stood. I grabbed Courtney and shook her. "What happened to her, Courtney? Where is Lydia?"
Courtney's eyes glazed over and she began singing, "Lydia, Lydia, do you know Lydia?" she said in a sing song voice. It was almost as if her soul had vacated her body. What was it she said? This theater was full of illusions, and desperation and had a draining effect on my mind. I wanted to leave, but justice demanded I seek and avenge Lydia. Did she even exist?
Courtney's eyes unglazed and she looked at me, a sneer curling her pouty lip. "Let go of me, you bitch! You may be the eager ingenue, but I'm the leading lady here! You may have his eye, but he loves me, and I'll kill you before I let you have him! do you hear me?"
She reached past me and pulled a longsword from the basket beside me. Courtney stepped back and lunged at me with an unpracticed leap. I skipped out of her way, unwilling to hurt her. But Courtney was relentless, swinging and slashing. She was also faster than her depressing demeanor would indicate. I was unable to press past her to the stairs.
"Kill you! KILL YOU!" she shouted, driving at me with the sword once more. I stepped back and tripped over a steamer trunk, Courtney landed on me, driving a knee into my stomach. I groaned and felt the flat of her sword tight against my throat. She hissed at me, "I own you know, remember that. "
She leaned back, her eyes unfocused again. Then she looked at me again, all smiles and sunshine and offered me her hand. "Are you all right?" she asked, and I could hear genuine compassion in her voice. "And I never caught your name. What is it again?"
"Ah, I'm ah, White Owl," I said. "I'm a defender in this city."
Courtney studied me. "I don't think we can call you White Owl. It sounds like a cigar, or a stripper. Her face blanked for a moment, then she started again almost like she hadn't stopped. "The Owl is a symbol of wisdom, generally thought to be an avatar of Athena. So we'll call you Athena. Is that all right apprentice?" She headed for the stairs, motioning me to follow. We need to lose that outfit--or at least update it and make it better for the show. you can keep the mask, but I think feathers...and sequins--definitely sequins.
Dazed and curious about the frequent turns of behavior, I followed Courtney DeZastre up the stairs and into a long, dark hallway.
"Settle down Athena," I chided myself. "You were in a theater--you couldn't be too far away right now."
My eyes steadily were growing more accustomed to the darkness and I was becoming more and more aware of several large shapes in the space around me; including the glowing red eyes. They remained motionelss and I became convinced they weren't as malevolent as they first appeared. I leaned from the sofa, preparing to explore, when I heard footsteps at the doorway. The sound of bickering preceded the steps. I leaned back, still, and pricked up my ears. The voices were distinctly masculine and feminine.
"I get credit for this disaster! You'll not have her!"
"Stop being so melodramatic. You've got nothing but big Talk! I'll get her, because I always get them."
"Well, we'll just she how he feels about that," the masculine voice growled. I heard heavy clomping retreating from the door. Something in the conversation sent a chill up my spine and I shivered.
I heard a rattle at the door--the sound of metal rasping on metal and realized I had been padlocked inside. The knob rattled, the hinges squealed like a hungry cat and I saw a hand reaching in to flip a switch.
The room was bathed in the bright light of three 100 watt light bulbs and I threw an arm over my wincing face. My eyes adjusted again to the light and I saw a brunette in a showgirl's outfit mince down the stairs. Her tread was light, but her smile was forced as she approached me.
"Well, well what have we here?" she asked. The woman grabbed the handrail of the stairs and spun gracefully across the room. Her legs were long and powerful, but there was no joy in her motions. Her body was voluptuous, but she carried herself without any grace or poise. She alighted near a large wicker basket; several swords were sticking through it, I noted.
"You're certainly different from the last apprentices we had. Katie had to make costumes for them. But you came with your own." She crossed the floor, grabbed, then rubbed the Nu Silk of my costume ( and my breast too!) then danced back smirking as she paused near the basket. "Nice material," she said, rubbing her own shabby looking attire. She toyed with the pommel of a large broadsword and looked back over her shoulder at me.
"So quiet? Usually apprentices are full of questions and comments--little things like let me go, you're mad, and where the hell am I? I can't believe you're so jaded you wouldn't have anything to say to me."
I cleared my throat--her words beat against me in a staccato beat, barely giving me time to think. "I...I heard a scream," I began. "I investigated on the stage and fell. I woke up here. So where is here?"
The woman gave me a weary smile. "You're in the theater. We fulfill illusions of Grandeur here. All of life is an illusion, all of life is theater. Here we examine the issues of life and death, joy and sorrow, pain and passion and the mystery play that is life itself. You've been chosen to play a part in our latest production, as the apprentice, an eager young thing who slowly loses her perky appearance and is worn down, to a lifeless, joyless, soulless husk."
I shook my head. Her words were filling my mind, chasing the memories of my life from me. She kept up the beat, and her hypnotic patter filled me. "I'm Courtney, by the way, Courtney DeZastre. It's French you know. And since we can't have you being just "the apprentice", you'll need a name.
"Now the last apprentice was Lydia. She lasted..." Courtney's eyes rolled up into her head as she calculated, "about three days." She paused a moment, then added, "I'll bet that was the scream you heard, wasn't it?"
I nodded, swinging from the sofa. My feet hit the floor and I stood. I grabbed Courtney and shook her. "What happened to her, Courtney? Where is Lydia?"
Courtney's eyes glazed over and she began singing, "Lydia, Lydia, do you know Lydia?" she said in a sing song voice. It was almost as if her soul had vacated her body. What was it she said? This theater was full of illusions, and desperation and had a draining effect on my mind. I wanted to leave, but justice demanded I seek and avenge Lydia. Did she even exist?
Courtney's eyes unglazed and she looked at me, a sneer curling her pouty lip. "Let go of me, you bitch! You may be the eager ingenue, but I'm the leading lady here! You may have his eye, but he loves me, and I'll kill you before I let you have him! do you hear me?"
She reached past me and pulled a longsword from the basket beside me. Courtney stepped back and lunged at me with an unpracticed leap. I skipped out of her way, unwilling to hurt her. But Courtney was relentless, swinging and slashing. She was also faster than her depressing demeanor would indicate. I was unable to press past her to the stairs.
"Kill you! KILL YOU!" she shouted, driving at me with the sword once more. I stepped back and tripped over a steamer trunk, Courtney landed on me, driving a knee into my stomach. I groaned and felt the flat of her sword tight against my throat. She hissed at me, "I own you know, remember that. "
She leaned back, her eyes unfocused again. Then she looked at me again, all smiles and sunshine and offered me her hand. "Are you all right?" she asked, and I could hear genuine compassion in her voice. "And I never caught your name. What is it again?"
"Ah, I'm ah, White Owl," I said. "I'm a defender in this city."
Courtney studied me. "I don't think we can call you White Owl. It sounds like a cigar, or a stripper. Her face blanked for a moment, then she started again almost like she hadn't stopped. "The Owl is a symbol of wisdom, generally thought to be an avatar of Athena. So we'll call you Athena. Is that all right apprentice?" She headed for the stairs, motioning me to follow. We need to lose that outfit--or at least update it and make it better for the show. you can keep the mask, but I think feathers...and sequins--definitely sequins.
Dazed and curious about the frequent turns of behavior, I followed Courtney DeZastre up the stairs and into a long, dark hallway.
"Courtney? COURTNEY!" I shouted, following the seductive swaying of the woman's hips. She rounded a corner in the hallway and I followed swiftly. SLAP!!!
My hand went to my cheek and I stared in amazement at Courtney glared daggers at me. She grabbed my shoulder and with a surprising strength, she tossed me into a small room filled with wardrobes and clothing on racks. As I was taking in the scene, Courtney leaned into me, jamming her forearm into my throat.
"Rule One," she hissed. "No talking in the hallway when the show is in performance. And since the show is always in performance, that means no talking in the hallway, ever!"
I opened my mouth to protest and she raised her gloved hand to me. Swiftly I shut up.
"Rule Two: You are an apprentice, you may ONLY speak when spoken to. Have I made myself clear?"
I grimaced, but decided if I was going to find out any information concerning Lydia, then I had better play along with this madwoman. I nodded quietly and felt Courtney's weight rise from my throat. She studied me apprisingly. "All right now, Apprentice Athena, Strip."
"What?" I asked in astonishment.
"Did I stutter? Get out of theat rig! If you're going to perform on stage, you need to be attired appropriately." Her hand fumbled with my toolbelt and I grabbed at her wrists in an effort to stop her.
"I am not getting stripped for you or anyone else! I am here to investigate a scream, and a possible death," I said.
"No you're here because the master requires a new apprentice. The last one didn't last long. Admit it, you never saw this place before tonight, right?"
I nodded.
"You've lived in this city all your life, protecting it, defending it and I'll bet you know every seamy corner of the this burg. But the Theater? You never knew it was here, did you? The Theater called you, it calls all of us. But it demands we all play out our parts."
Her voice held me spellbound. While she spoke, her hands deftly removed my belt,my leotard and my boots. I shivered, standing in front of her in my mask and gloves.
"I like the mask--it adds an air of mystery," she said, sticking a ridiculous hat with a large ostrich plume to my head. "And the opera gloves are de rigueur for any self respecting assistant." She turned and dumped my costume on a small table behind her. I heard infantile giggling and saw a small hand stretch through the costumes on the far wall to steal my costume.
"Hey!" I began.
"Boys will ever be boys, my dear apprentice," said Courtney handing me a flimsy garment on a hanger. "Put this on and be quick about it. I don't know if Katie is available tonight, or if she's filling in for Tish."
I gawped at the small costume, but realizing I would be unable to fight crime without any clothes, I slipped into the outfit. The top was skimpier than any bikini I had ever worn, woven of metallic gold satin. The bottom was similarly skimpy, a bikini brief with two soft cloth skirts covering my hips. A set of fishnet stockings were sewn into the briefs and some high buckle high heels completed the look.
"I look ridiculous," I said to Courtney.
"You look magnificent." she said. "Here, Look into the mirror." Taking my hand, she led me to a cheval mirror. I saw my reflection, though Courtney's seemed dimmer somehow. slmost shadowy. I frowned at my appearance; it seemed defeated and resigned somehow, almost weary.
As I turned from the mirror, I looked to Courtney. She was eagerly licking her lips at me. "Do you feel all right now apprentice?" she asked.
"I'm not your....I'm not....I'm not sure Mistress DeZastre." My mind shuddered in revulsion. Why was I here again? "I'm frightened," I admitted.
"We were all frightened when we were apprentices, Athena," she said with a wry smile. Taking my hand she lead me back into the hallway, her eyes reminding me again of the first rule. We ascended a stairway, and I found myself in the lobby of the theater again. Courtney led me through the doorway again.
This time, the theater wasn't quite empty. On the stage, I saw a thin, but wiry looking man with a top hat and cape. He was levitating a large fishbowl. Behind him, a small, sinister looking clown capered wildly, pointing and making sinister snorting laughs. I glimpsed a large tentacle in the fishbowl, which quickly disappeared as Courtney led me down the aisle toward the stage.
The clown bounced off the stage and galloped up the aisle on his knuckles, gorilla like. I shrieked in fear and hid behind Courtney. Courtney laughed snd said, "Down Pickless. This is a new friend." The troll like little clown lumbered away, frowning and muttering something that sounded like "fresssh meeeaaat." His voice keened in a high contralto, echoing in the empty audience chamber. From underneath the floor (though the orchestra pit? I wondered.) I heard a baritone echo of "fressshhh mmmeeeeaaaatttt!!!"
I wanted to dig my heels in, but Courtney pulled me. Somehow my will was being broken--or controlled somehow and I followed my new mistress to the stage. She curtsied daintily, then threw her arms around the magician. He ignored her long enough to bring the giant fishbowl to the ground. With a flourish of both his wand and cape, the fishbowl vanished, only to be replaced by a pedestel with a vulture looming on it.
"Well well Courtney, the Talker said he'd already found another. I didn't expect her to be so...enchanting." He pecked Courtney on the cheek, but his eyes never wavered from their gaze on me. He moved smoothly, like a dancer and drew close to me. I saw a flare in his left hand, and a single white rose appeared.
"Welcome to the Illusions of Grandeur troupe, my dear." He pressed the rose into my hand and I winced as the thorns pierced my palm. "Let this rose be a reminded to you of your time with us. For like life, it is filled with beauty and purity, which the white rose symbolises. But it has thorns, because life is harsh as well. And finally, a rose, once plucked, has a limited life--just like my apprentices." He laughed merrily, but there was no joy in the sound.
Courtney appeared at his side, hanging on his shoulder. "Did I do well master? Will she do?" she asked eagerly. She desperately was craving his attention and the man was having none of it.
"What? Yes yes, well done Ms De Zastre. But you've ruined my next trick? Where are my cards?" Flustered, Courtney ran off stage. The man turned to me.
"I'm here because of the screaming, " I began.
"You're here because I need a new assistant," he said more convincingly than I. He pulled a spotted buisness card from his pocket and I read,
The Great Vilianie, Illusionist of Granduer.
The stains looked like blood and I shuddered as I studied it. But as I was about to return it, Courtney returned with a silver charger in one hand. She presented it to Vilianie, and lifted the lid. He pulled a fresh box of cards from the tray. Courtney smiled, curtsied and left the stage.
Vilianie broke the seal on the box and began shuffling the cards.
"Look Mr...Vilianie. I'm here because I suspect a woman may have lost her life here tonight."
"Pick a card, any card," he said, fanning the deck for me.
"I really don't have time for this," I said. His face contorted in anger and his dark eyes glared in fury at me.
"I said, TAKE A CARD!"
Something was definitely wrong with me. Normally I would have responded to this infantile display in the manner it deserved. But I was chilled to the bone by the severe tone. It was not a request, and having already dealt with Courtney's temper tantrums, I drew a card. I looked at it and handed it back to him. He shuffled it into the deck, then fanned the deck clockwise. I saw a random assortment of faces and numbers, reds and blacks. He closed the deck and flipped it face down.
"Now count as far as you want apprentice, and tell me when to stop."
I counted to four and said, "Stop." As I counted, he peeled off one card after another.
"You're certain?" he said. I nodded.
He flipped over the fifth card. I nodded as I saw the Ace of Spades in his hand. The Spade in the center though was marked with a skull in the middle.
"You've chosen four, Ms Athena. I was hoping for much longer, but I think we can have fun with the four." He pointed upward and I saw the grinning, gruesome face of one of the clowns above me. A moment later a sandbag crashed down on my head. The bright stage lights went dim and I fell to the floor in a sprawl.
My hand went to my cheek and I stared in amazement at Courtney glared daggers at me. She grabbed my shoulder and with a surprising strength, she tossed me into a small room filled with wardrobes and clothing on racks. As I was taking in the scene, Courtney leaned into me, jamming her forearm into my throat.
"Rule One," she hissed. "No talking in the hallway when the show is in performance. And since the show is always in performance, that means no talking in the hallway, ever!"
I opened my mouth to protest and she raised her gloved hand to me. Swiftly I shut up.
"Rule Two: You are an apprentice, you may ONLY speak when spoken to. Have I made myself clear?"
I grimaced, but decided if I was going to find out any information concerning Lydia, then I had better play along with this madwoman. I nodded quietly and felt Courtney's weight rise from my throat. She studied me apprisingly. "All right now, Apprentice Athena, Strip."
"What?" I asked in astonishment.
"Did I stutter? Get out of theat rig! If you're going to perform on stage, you need to be attired appropriately." Her hand fumbled with my toolbelt and I grabbed at her wrists in an effort to stop her.
"I am not getting stripped for you or anyone else! I am here to investigate a scream, and a possible death," I said.
"No you're here because the master requires a new apprentice. The last one didn't last long. Admit it, you never saw this place before tonight, right?"
I nodded.
"You've lived in this city all your life, protecting it, defending it and I'll bet you know every seamy corner of the this burg. But the Theater? You never knew it was here, did you? The Theater called you, it calls all of us. But it demands we all play out our parts."
Her voice held me spellbound. While she spoke, her hands deftly removed my belt,my leotard and my boots. I shivered, standing in front of her in my mask and gloves.
"I like the mask--it adds an air of mystery," she said, sticking a ridiculous hat with a large ostrich plume to my head. "And the opera gloves are de rigueur for any self respecting assistant." She turned and dumped my costume on a small table behind her. I heard infantile giggling and saw a small hand stretch through the costumes on the far wall to steal my costume.
"Hey!" I began.
"Boys will ever be boys, my dear apprentice," said Courtney handing me a flimsy garment on a hanger. "Put this on and be quick about it. I don't know if Katie is available tonight, or if she's filling in for Tish."
I gawped at the small costume, but realizing I would be unable to fight crime without any clothes, I slipped into the outfit. The top was skimpier than any bikini I had ever worn, woven of metallic gold satin. The bottom was similarly skimpy, a bikini brief with two soft cloth skirts covering my hips. A set of fishnet stockings were sewn into the briefs and some high buckle high heels completed the look.
"I look ridiculous," I said to Courtney.
"You look magnificent." she said. "Here, Look into the mirror." Taking my hand, she led me to a cheval mirror. I saw my reflection, though Courtney's seemed dimmer somehow. slmost shadowy. I frowned at my appearance; it seemed defeated and resigned somehow, almost weary.
As I turned from the mirror, I looked to Courtney. She was eagerly licking her lips at me. "Do you feel all right now apprentice?" she asked.
"I'm not your....I'm not....I'm not sure Mistress DeZastre." My mind shuddered in revulsion. Why was I here again? "I'm frightened," I admitted.
"We were all frightened when we were apprentices, Athena," she said with a wry smile. Taking my hand she lead me back into the hallway, her eyes reminding me again of the first rule. We ascended a stairway, and I found myself in the lobby of the theater again. Courtney led me through the doorway again.
This time, the theater wasn't quite empty. On the stage, I saw a thin, but wiry looking man with a top hat and cape. He was levitating a large fishbowl. Behind him, a small, sinister looking clown capered wildly, pointing and making sinister snorting laughs. I glimpsed a large tentacle in the fishbowl, which quickly disappeared as Courtney led me down the aisle toward the stage.
The clown bounced off the stage and galloped up the aisle on his knuckles, gorilla like. I shrieked in fear and hid behind Courtney. Courtney laughed snd said, "Down Pickless. This is a new friend." The troll like little clown lumbered away, frowning and muttering something that sounded like "fresssh meeeaaat." His voice keened in a high contralto, echoing in the empty audience chamber. From underneath the floor (though the orchestra pit? I wondered.) I heard a baritone echo of "fressshhh mmmeeeeaaaatttt!!!"
I wanted to dig my heels in, but Courtney pulled me. Somehow my will was being broken--or controlled somehow and I followed my new mistress to the stage. She curtsied daintily, then threw her arms around the magician. He ignored her long enough to bring the giant fishbowl to the ground. With a flourish of both his wand and cape, the fishbowl vanished, only to be replaced by a pedestel with a vulture looming on it.
"Well well Courtney, the Talker said he'd already found another. I didn't expect her to be so...enchanting." He pecked Courtney on the cheek, but his eyes never wavered from their gaze on me. He moved smoothly, like a dancer and drew close to me. I saw a flare in his left hand, and a single white rose appeared.
"Welcome to the Illusions of Grandeur troupe, my dear." He pressed the rose into my hand and I winced as the thorns pierced my palm. "Let this rose be a reminded to you of your time with us. For like life, it is filled with beauty and purity, which the white rose symbolises. But it has thorns, because life is harsh as well. And finally, a rose, once plucked, has a limited life--just like my apprentices." He laughed merrily, but there was no joy in the sound.
Courtney appeared at his side, hanging on his shoulder. "Did I do well master? Will she do?" she asked eagerly. She desperately was craving his attention and the man was having none of it.
"What? Yes yes, well done Ms De Zastre. But you've ruined my next trick? Where are my cards?" Flustered, Courtney ran off stage. The man turned to me.
"I'm here because of the screaming, " I began.
"You're here because I need a new assistant," he said more convincingly than I. He pulled a spotted buisness card from his pocket and I read,
The Great Vilianie, Illusionist of Granduer.
The stains looked like blood and I shuddered as I studied it. But as I was about to return it, Courtney returned with a silver charger in one hand. She presented it to Vilianie, and lifted the lid. He pulled a fresh box of cards from the tray. Courtney smiled, curtsied and left the stage.
Vilianie broke the seal on the box and began shuffling the cards.
"Look Mr...Vilianie. I'm here because I suspect a woman may have lost her life here tonight."
"Pick a card, any card," he said, fanning the deck for me.
"I really don't have time for this," I said. His face contorted in anger and his dark eyes glared in fury at me.
"I said, TAKE A CARD!"
Something was definitely wrong with me. Normally I would have responded to this infantile display in the manner it deserved. But I was chilled to the bone by the severe tone. It was not a request, and having already dealt with Courtney's temper tantrums, I drew a card. I looked at it and handed it back to him. He shuffled it into the deck, then fanned the deck clockwise. I saw a random assortment of faces and numbers, reds and blacks. He closed the deck and flipped it face down.
"Now count as far as you want apprentice, and tell me when to stop."
I counted to four and said, "Stop." As I counted, he peeled off one card after another.
"You're certain?" he said. I nodded.
He flipped over the fifth card. I nodded as I saw the Ace of Spades in his hand. The Spade in the center though was marked with a skull in the middle.
"You've chosen four, Ms Athena. I was hoping for much longer, but I think we can have fun with the four." He pointed upward and I saw the grinning, gruesome face of one of the clowns above me. A moment later a sandbag crashed down on my head. The bright stage lights went dim and I fell to the floor in a sprawl.
I heard the sounds of people dragging heavy objects across the wooden planking and groaned. My head was beginning to feel like a well used softball with the repeated blows and I began to stand groggily.
"Shake a leg, shake a leg," hissed Courtney. "He doesn't like a lot of space between acts. It's all about timing." She was dragging the large wicker basket I had seen in the room beneath the stage. Several swords rattled in the lid of the basket. Courtney waved a gloved hand at me, indicating that I needed to grab the other end of the basket. I sighed, and grabbed the handle, gently carrying the basket to the center of the stage.
We set it down and I turned, eager to get away. I heard Vilianie working the audience, weaving a verbal image for the illusion he was about to perform. "Several cultures in the world want to hide away the evil. They closet it , disguise it in pretty wrappings. After all, the devil can appear as an angel of light, isn't that right ladies and gentlmen?
"But the sword has always been used to divide the good from the evil; the right from the wrong; the head from the shoulders. It unseated the heads of traitors, and was used to cut through to the truth of the matter. Indeed the very word 'quick' indicated living as opposed to death--so the sword can indeed separate the quick from the deceased." As he talked, Vilianie strode back to the basket, where Courtney and I had set it. Vilianie stroked Courtney's face, cupping it at the word "traitors."
Courtney quivered in excitement, and licked her lips longingly at Vilianie. But he continued his patter, crossing behind the basket and offering his hand to me.
"We all have darkness in our hearts. Sometimes it's a small betrayal, something trivial. Others hide a large treachery and continue to posture as doers of good. But this will cut through to the heart of any treachery. " His hand grew weary of waiting for me to take it and he cupped my chin, forcing me to look into his svengali like eyes.
"I suggest you take my hand and continue in the act, apprentice, or you're going to find you've raised my ire." he hissed in a stage whisper. "And smile, you're supposed to be enjoying it!" He released my jaw and continued.
"My lovely assistant will now enter the basket and I will probe deeply to determine if she is indeed honest, or if treachery and deceit are deep in her heart." He dropped my chin and offered his hand again. I could see Courtney glowering at me, but she nodded and I gave my gloved hand to Vilianie. He assisted me into the basket and I knelt down, peering over the edge.
"What is more treacherous than a woman's heart?" asked Vilianie, with an evil sneer. He clutched several swords in his hands and I saw Courtney placing the lid over me, pressing me to the floor.
This had been one of my favorite tricks when my uncle had performed it, and I remembered him telling me how to perform it safely. From earlier, I remembered the trap door and knew that Courtney and I had placed the basket directly over it.
I felt in the bottom of the basket for the trap door latch and got nervous when I found the latch was not there. Even more nerve wracking was when the first sword, a Japanese Katana slipped between the wicker weavings.
"Awp!" I dodged, asd the blade stuck through the basket, cutting it into a 60-40 division. Somehow, I managed to wind up on the 60 percent side, but my relief was short-lived as the second sword drove through the basket. I was flanked on either side and I heard above me, "That's two across, now let's try front to back."
Two more swords jabbed through the basket and I was pinned in a tight box framing my body. "That's four swords, ladies and gentlemen. How are you doing, Athena?"
"It's a bit tight," I replied. "But so far you missed me."
"Well we can take care of that," he said. I could almost hear the leer in his voice. A steel blade jumped through the lid of the basket, skimming through my hair, past my nose and spiking into the bottom of the basket between my thighs.I wriggled back but scooted forward as another sword stabbed through behind my back. I felt the blade pressing down my spine and buttocks, keeping me in a tight and upright position.
"That's two more--for a total of six. I think we could do more. What do you think?"
"No!" I pleaded. "This isn't a trick, I can't perform it right for you."
I heard an evil laugh above me. "Who said it was a trick? I indicated this would determine if you had a treacherous heart. Which if I aimed right, it should be right....HERE!" I felt the basket wriggle, and saw a wriggling blade snaking through straight at my chest.
I screamed in terror as I felt the sword tear through the soft flesh of my chest. I remember it pushing through to the other side and seeing the blood on the blade. My eyes rolled up and I gasped in pain.
"Still with us?" I heard.
"You're a madman! Are you trying to kill me?" The pain in my chest was like fire and it was an effort to speak.
"Absolutely! But we're only half done here. We still have to pull the blades out.
I shrieked as the blades came out one by one--first the ones flanking me, one by one.
"Now there's just the one in your treacherous heart, my dear. If you survive it, then you've proven yourself pure and worthy for the next tests. It's too bad this was the serpent sword, and serrated too, tsk tsk. Best this is done quickly.
I felt the sword rasp on my ribcage and screamed in pain, whiting out as the blade popped free. I barely remember Vilianie saying, "Hmmmm, a pure heart it appears. Nothing here." I felt Courtney's arms around my chest as I was dragged out of the basket. I could see my blood spurting with each pump of my heart. My eyes grew heavy....I could see the room spinning.
"Shake a leg, shake a leg," hissed Courtney. "He doesn't like a lot of space between acts. It's all about timing." She was dragging the large wicker basket I had seen in the room beneath the stage. Several swords rattled in the lid of the basket. Courtney waved a gloved hand at me, indicating that I needed to grab the other end of the basket. I sighed, and grabbed the handle, gently carrying the basket to the center of the stage.
We set it down and I turned, eager to get away. I heard Vilianie working the audience, weaving a verbal image for the illusion he was about to perform. "Several cultures in the world want to hide away the evil. They closet it , disguise it in pretty wrappings. After all, the devil can appear as an angel of light, isn't that right ladies and gentlmen?
"But the sword has always been used to divide the good from the evil; the right from the wrong; the head from the shoulders. It unseated the heads of traitors, and was used to cut through to the truth of the matter. Indeed the very word 'quick' indicated living as opposed to death--so the sword can indeed separate the quick from the deceased." As he talked, Vilianie strode back to the basket, where Courtney and I had set it. Vilianie stroked Courtney's face, cupping it at the word "traitors."
Courtney quivered in excitement, and licked her lips longingly at Vilianie. But he continued his patter, crossing behind the basket and offering his hand to me.
"We all have darkness in our hearts. Sometimes it's a small betrayal, something trivial. Others hide a large treachery and continue to posture as doers of good. But this will cut through to the heart of any treachery. " His hand grew weary of waiting for me to take it and he cupped my chin, forcing me to look into his svengali like eyes.
"I suggest you take my hand and continue in the act, apprentice, or you're going to find you've raised my ire." he hissed in a stage whisper. "And smile, you're supposed to be enjoying it!" He released my jaw and continued.
"My lovely assistant will now enter the basket and I will probe deeply to determine if she is indeed honest, or if treachery and deceit are deep in her heart." He dropped my chin and offered his hand again. I could see Courtney glowering at me, but she nodded and I gave my gloved hand to Vilianie. He assisted me into the basket and I knelt down, peering over the edge.
"What is more treacherous than a woman's heart?" asked Vilianie, with an evil sneer. He clutched several swords in his hands and I saw Courtney placing the lid over me, pressing me to the floor.
This had been one of my favorite tricks when my uncle had performed it, and I remembered him telling me how to perform it safely. From earlier, I remembered the trap door and knew that Courtney and I had placed the basket directly over it.
I felt in the bottom of the basket for the trap door latch and got nervous when I found the latch was not there. Even more nerve wracking was when the first sword, a Japanese Katana slipped between the wicker weavings.
"Awp!" I dodged, asd the blade stuck through the basket, cutting it into a 60-40 division. Somehow, I managed to wind up on the 60 percent side, but my relief was short-lived as the second sword drove through the basket. I was flanked on either side and I heard above me, "That's two across, now let's try front to back."
Two more swords jabbed through the basket and I was pinned in a tight box framing my body. "That's four swords, ladies and gentlemen. How are you doing, Athena?"
"It's a bit tight," I replied. "But so far you missed me."
"Well we can take care of that," he said. I could almost hear the leer in his voice. A steel blade jumped through the lid of the basket, skimming through my hair, past my nose and spiking into the bottom of the basket between my thighs.I wriggled back but scooted forward as another sword stabbed through behind my back. I felt the blade pressing down my spine and buttocks, keeping me in a tight and upright position.
"That's two more--for a total of six. I think we could do more. What do you think?"
"No!" I pleaded. "This isn't a trick, I can't perform it right for you."
I heard an evil laugh above me. "Who said it was a trick? I indicated this would determine if you had a treacherous heart. Which if I aimed right, it should be right....HERE!" I felt the basket wriggle, and saw a wriggling blade snaking through straight at my chest.
I screamed in terror as I felt the sword tear through the soft flesh of my chest. I remember it pushing through to the other side and seeing the blood on the blade. My eyes rolled up and I gasped in pain.
"Still with us?" I heard.
"You're a madman! Are you trying to kill me?" The pain in my chest was like fire and it was an effort to speak.
"Absolutely! But we're only half done here. We still have to pull the blades out.
I shrieked as the blades came out one by one--first the ones flanking me, one by one.
"Now there's just the one in your treacherous heart, my dear. If you survive it, then you've proven yourself pure and worthy for the next tests. It's too bad this was the serpent sword, and serrated too, tsk tsk. Best this is done quickly.
I felt the sword rasp on my ribcage and screamed in pain, whiting out as the blade popped free. I barely remember Vilianie saying, "Hmmmm, a pure heart it appears. Nothing here." I felt Courtney's arms around my chest as I was dragged out of the basket. I could see my blood spurting with each pump of my heart. My eyes grew heavy....I could see the room spinning.
Pain...pain ripped though my body like fire. I was having a hard time breathing . The wound in my chest was healing slowly, but my heart was still pumping and blood was still spilling out on the stage floor. My head was light. I clutched my chest and through watery eyes I could make out Vilianie looming over me.
"Courtney? Was this apprentice properly prepared?" he asked. Though he was standing over me, Vilianie's voice sounded miles away.
"Umm I don't think so boss. You know how forgetful I get sometimes," said Courtney, all coquettish. She leaned into the magician and ran her hand longinly along his goatee. Vilianie pushed her away.
"How am I supposed to perform without enough asssitants?" he growled. "Correct this, or else, so help me I'll..."
"Punish me?" she asked in all eagerness.
"No, I'll do worse than that. I'll turn you out into the streets--and you know what would happen then." Courtney's face froze--a masque of horror. She slipped from Vilianie's arm and motioned offstage. Then Courtney crossed over to me and glared into my bleary eyes.
"You better hope I don't catch you making eyes at him, you minx. He's mine." I gurgled something incoherant and felt the room spinning. Two strong sets of small arms grabbed me under my arms and at my knees. I opened one eye through the pain and lookedin into the leering face of a hideous dwarf clown.
"Pickless, Herring, carry our guest to the extra's dressing room. I'll attend to her there." With a flounce and an angry look on her face, Courtney exited, stage right.
The Clowns carried me to the stairs and bounced me carelessly down each step. My butt bounced on each step causing me to gasp with each step. The clowns laughed mirthlessly and I felt their hands straying from the task somewhat, feeling me up as they bounced me down.
We got to the bottom of the stairs and I felt myself half-dragged and half carried toward a large dressing room with a low table. The clowns left me there, and Herring (the clown in the red suit) licked my thigh hungrily. I shuddered. He laughed silently and opened his mouth. I saw sharp teeth glinting at me, and I was about to scream.
At that moment, Courtney came in with a large syringe. "Get out of here, you clowns. Vilianie will let you have her when he's done with her." The clowns capered away. She bent over me and looked at my chest.
"Hmm, this wound isn't as severe as I first thought. I wonder if he's developing a soft spot for you?" She glared at me and held up the syringe. I could see a long needle and a glowing green liquid inside. She grabbed my arm and jabbed the needle inside.
"This is a special elixir, Athena. It will keep the master from killing you--though you may feel a lot of pain, and god I hope you do! Still, the first effect is sleep. So, we'll send for you soon." she pressed the plunger and I barely had time to mumble "nooo...."
"Courtney? Was this apprentice properly prepared?" he asked. Though he was standing over me, Vilianie's voice sounded miles away.
"Umm I don't think so boss. You know how forgetful I get sometimes," said Courtney, all coquettish. She leaned into the magician and ran her hand longinly along his goatee. Vilianie pushed her away.
"How am I supposed to perform without enough asssitants?" he growled. "Correct this, or else, so help me I'll..."
"Punish me?" she asked in all eagerness.
"No, I'll do worse than that. I'll turn you out into the streets--and you know what would happen then." Courtney's face froze--a masque of horror. She slipped from Vilianie's arm and motioned offstage. Then Courtney crossed over to me and glared into my bleary eyes.
"You better hope I don't catch you making eyes at him, you minx. He's mine." I gurgled something incoherant and felt the room spinning. Two strong sets of small arms grabbed me under my arms and at my knees. I opened one eye through the pain and lookedin into the leering face of a hideous dwarf clown.
"Pickless, Herring, carry our guest to the extra's dressing room. I'll attend to her there." With a flounce and an angry look on her face, Courtney exited, stage right.
The Clowns carried me to the stairs and bounced me carelessly down each step. My butt bounced on each step causing me to gasp with each step. The clowns laughed mirthlessly and I felt their hands straying from the task somewhat, feeling me up as they bounced me down.
We got to the bottom of the stairs and I felt myself half-dragged and half carried toward a large dressing room with a low table. The clowns left me there, and Herring (the clown in the red suit) licked my thigh hungrily. I shuddered. He laughed silently and opened his mouth. I saw sharp teeth glinting at me, and I was about to scream.
At that moment, Courtney came in with a large syringe. "Get out of here, you clowns. Vilianie will let you have her when he's done with her." The clowns capered away. She bent over me and looked at my chest.
"Hmm, this wound isn't as severe as I first thought. I wonder if he's developing a soft spot for you?" She glared at me and held up the syringe. I could see a long needle and a glowing green liquid inside. She grabbed my arm and jabbed the needle inside.
"This is a special elixir, Athena. It will keep the master from killing you--though you may feel a lot of pain, and god I hope you do! Still, the first effect is sleep. So, we'll send for you soon." she pressed the plunger and I barely had time to mumble "nooo...."
Courtney stood over the weakening form of Athena, watching as the heroine drooped then slumped into unconsciousness. "Yes, that's it apprentice, go to sleep. And in a couple of hours, Vilianie will have his fun with you too." She flounced to the door and flung it open, causing Pickless and Herring to tumble onto the floor. the clowns bounced to upright attention, snarling at Courtney.
They backed away however, when Courtney bared her nails and fangs at them. "Listen you peewee perverts! You know that she's gonna be yours soon. But for now, the master has needs for her. From above, Courtney heard, THE AUDIENCE IS WAITING!!!! Timing my dear TIMING!" Courtney hustled the two clowns in front of her and they raced up to the stage.
Meanwhile, I was struggling. My own hyper healing factor was hard at work chasing the poison of Vilianie's elixer from my body and healing my wound. I lay in a sweat, feeling the poison being pushed out of my body. Whether the elixer aided in saving my life or not, I don't know--but instead of taking the several hours Courtney had predicted, I was up on my feet in roughly fifteen minutes. I staggered for a moment, still woozy and a bit uncertain in the heels Courtney had dressed me in.
But the more I moved, the better I felt and I slipped more confidently into the hallway. I looked to the left, and saw the light on the stairs to the stage. Shaking my head, I turned to the right, moving deeper into the bowels of the theater. I had to find a way out of the theater; a way to bring Lieutenant Winslow and the Special Crimes Unit to the theater. I wasn't sure if anything untoward had happened, but still there was a sinister feeling to this place.
I found a short flight of stairs headed down into the deep underbelly of the theater. A warped wooden door shuddered open at my touch and I stumbled into what had apparently been a janitor's closet--or maybe a propmaster's studio. Several long shelves lined the walls, covered with cobwebs and pots of Clown White. I shuddered, knowing that I had stumbled onto the lair of the evil clowns. A foul stench cloyed at my nose and I tried hard not to retch.
In the dim light from the hallway, I saw a pile of debris and rubbish at the corner of the room. I fumbled just inside the doorway and finally grasped a long string. I pulled it and a dim 40 watt bulb gave a weak illumination to the room. Against the walls I saw a long line of ropes running upwards. Looking up, I could see several small cracks in the ceiling with light beams raining in through them. Fighting my retch reaction, I stumbled into the room.
I stepped cautiously to the debris pile, walking lightly on the uneven floor. The pile was littered with bags from various small carryout delis and local stores, leftover beer bottles, and bones. Some appeared to be chicken bones, though I was certain I spotted rabbit bones, pigeon wings and at least one human skull. I swallowed hard, now realizing what had happened to Lydia; and what was likely to be my fate if I wasn't careful.I staggered back, tripping over a large packing skid. I fell into a pile of clothing and torn sheets.
I picked myself up, sighting a familiar white leotard, boots and belt. My costume had been picked over and I could see the dirt and grime on the front. It felt slightly sodden and I shuddered as I realized how it had likely been used. Slowly a creeping feeling began over my back and up my neck, as though someone was watching me.
I heard a growl behind me and whirled to see a clown in red leaping through the door at me. Herring hit me low, wrapping his powerful arms around my legs. We fell to the floor in a tangle of arms and legs. Panicked by his sudden appearance, I swatted at him. Herring snarled, grabbing at my thigh and biting through the fishnet tights I was wearing.
"OWWWW!!!" I screamed as his teeth ripped into my skin. I kicked at his jaw with my other leg and the clown flipped back into the wall. The blow left me off balance and I staggered back into the wall full of ropes. I tripped, landing int a tangle of ropes and pulled hard, trying to get loose. As I tugged I heard a pop and flet the slack ropes suddenly go taut. I flew ito the wall then straight up, hanging upside down by my ankles as the ropes pulled me stageward.
I landed n stage in a gordian knot of limbs and lashes and found myself in a steel cage, covered with a black velvet cloth. I heard music swelling and saw the cloth whisked away. Vilianie looked in stunned silence into the cage. "Well well, what have we here? You certainly aren't Ms DeZastre. Ah well, as you seem tied up at the moment, let's see what I can do."
He snapped his fingers and the ends of the ropes restraining me snapped to attention. They began weaving and undulating like vipers around my restrained form, slowly unwrapping me. I was forced to my feet as the ropes untied themselves, then obediently coiled at Vilianie's feet. He opened the cage and helped me out and I stood at his side.
"You look horrible, " he told me in a stage whisper. "But I think Ms DeZastre is going to look worse." From off stage, I could hear the spinechilling roar of a hungry tiger, drowned out by the frightened shrieks of Courtney De Zastre.
They backed away however, when Courtney bared her nails and fangs at them. "Listen you peewee perverts! You know that she's gonna be yours soon. But for now, the master has needs for her. From above, Courtney heard, THE AUDIENCE IS WAITING!!!! Timing my dear TIMING!" Courtney hustled the two clowns in front of her and they raced up to the stage.
Meanwhile, I was struggling. My own hyper healing factor was hard at work chasing the poison of Vilianie's elixer from my body and healing my wound. I lay in a sweat, feeling the poison being pushed out of my body. Whether the elixer aided in saving my life or not, I don't know--but instead of taking the several hours Courtney had predicted, I was up on my feet in roughly fifteen minutes. I staggered for a moment, still woozy and a bit uncertain in the heels Courtney had dressed me in.
But the more I moved, the better I felt and I slipped more confidently into the hallway. I looked to the left, and saw the light on the stairs to the stage. Shaking my head, I turned to the right, moving deeper into the bowels of the theater. I had to find a way out of the theater; a way to bring Lieutenant Winslow and the Special Crimes Unit to the theater. I wasn't sure if anything untoward had happened, but still there was a sinister feeling to this place.
I found a short flight of stairs headed down into the deep underbelly of the theater. A warped wooden door shuddered open at my touch and I stumbled into what had apparently been a janitor's closet--or maybe a propmaster's studio. Several long shelves lined the walls, covered with cobwebs and pots of Clown White. I shuddered, knowing that I had stumbled onto the lair of the evil clowns. A foul stench cloyed at my nose and I tried hard not to retch.
In the dim light from the hallway, I saw a pile of debris and rubbish at the corner of the room. I fumbled just inside the doorway and finally grasped a long string. I pulled it and a dim 40 watt bulb gave a weak illumination to the room. Against the walls I saw a long line of ropes running upwards. Looking up, I could see several small cracks in the ceiling with light beams raining in through them. Fighting my retch reaction, I stumbled into the room.
I stepped cautiously to the debris pile, walking lightly on the uneven floor. The pile was littered with bags from various small carryout delis and local stores, leftover beer bottles, and bones. Some appeared to be chicken bones, though I was certain I spotted rabbit bones, pigeon wings and at least one human skull. I swallowed hard, now realizing what had happened to Lydia; and what was likely to be my fate if I wasn't careful.I staggered back, tripping over a large packing skid. I fell into a pile of clothing and torn sheets.
I picked myself up, sighting a familiar white leotard, boots and belt. My costume had been picked over and I could see the dirt and grime on the front. It felt slightly sodden and I shuddered as I realized how it had likely been used. Slowly a creeping feeling began over my back and up my neck, as though someone was watching me.
I heard a growl behind me and whirled to see a clown in red leaping through the door at me. Herring hit me low, wrapping his powerful arms around my legs. We fell to the floor in a tangle of arms and legs. Panicked by his sudden appearance, I swatted at him. Herring snarled, grabbing at my thigh and biting through the fishnet tights I was wearing.
"OWWWW!!!" I screamed as his teeth ripped into my skin. I kicked at his jaw with my other leg and the clown flipped back into the wall. The blow left me off balance and I staggered back into the wall full of ropes. I tripped, landing int a tangle of ropes and pulled hard, trying to get loose. As I tugged I heard a pop and flet the slack ropes suddenly go taut. I flew ito the wall then straight up, hanging upside down by my ankles as the ropes pulled me stageward.
I landed n stage in a gordian knot of limbs and lashes and found myself in a steel cage, covered with a black velvet cloth. I heard music swelling and saw the cloth whisked away. Vilianie looked in stunned silence into the cage. "Well well, what have we here? You certainly aren't Ms DeZastre. Ah well, as you seem tied up at the moment, let's see what I can do."
He snapped his fingers and the ends of the ropes restraining me snapped to attention. They began weaving and undulating like vipers around my restrained form, slowly unwrapping me. I was forced to my feet as the ropes untied themselves, then obediently coiled at Vilianie's feet. He opened the cage and helped me out and I stood at his side.
"You look horrible, " he told me in a stage whisper. "But I think Ms DeZastre is going to look worse." From off stage, I could hear the spinechilling roar of a hungry tiger, drowned out by the frightened shrieks of Courtney De Zastre.
The roars and shrieks continued. I looked at Vilianie as he continued discoursing about the nature of magic versus illusion. I was only half listening, knowing some foul fate was befalling Courtney. She was a bit odd, possibly even evil, but I didn't feel anyone deserved to be torn apart by tigers.
Something else was concerning me as well. Normally I could have snapped those ropes like so much wet tissue paper. But somehow I couldn't do it. Was something sapping my strength? Had Courtney's injections somehow drained my power or was there something more sinister at work here.
"Sorry about the ill mannered ropes,my new apprentice," said Vilianie, stomping on the rope as it tried to tangle around my foot again. The rope yelped (?!) and settled down. I felt the magicians hands roaming over my shoulders and sliding down my arms toward my...
"Hadn't we better rescue Courtney?" I asked, sounding braver than I felt. A piercing shriek echoed in the empty theater. I stepped forward, trying to get past Vilianie to help Courtney. His hand reached out, catching me in the breasts and holding me in place.
"Not so fast, my nubile young apprentice," he said with a salicious leer on his face. He pulled me close, encircling my waist with his free hand. Then releasing my breasts, he tugged and twirled one end of his mustache, smoothing and toying with it. "Ms DeZastre should learn to spend some quality time with the kitties, don't you agree? They really are magnificent creatures, though they have this unfortunate tendency to play with their food, sort of like Pickless and Herring."
I struggled in his grip, twisting and finally breaking free. I broke loose, heading toward stage right when I heard Courtney scream once more. I skidded, and instinctively leapt into the air, trying to take flight. I landed nose first on the ground at Vilianie's feet. He laughed hysterically, pulling a long string of silk hankies from his jacket pocket and wiping the tears from his eye with the last one.
"Oh my dear, that is really too rich." His voice quivered with laughter. "Were--were you actually trying to FLY? Ha ha ha ha." His jacket shook with the loud peals of mirthless glee. He grabbed my wrist and twisted it back. I gasped in pain, flinching.
"You can't fly yet, you're just an apprentice. You have to master...close up magic first." His head dipped into my neck, nuzzling. His goatee tickled along my neck, and I felt his velvet voice in my ears, mesmerizing. I felt limp, almost ready to yield to him when my mind jumped to the skull I had found in the basement. Courtney was in danger, and I wouldn't stand for another Lydia on my hands--not if I could stop it.
"I swore an oath to protect others. And I intend to keep it," I said breaking free from Vilianie again. My foot stepped on his. He danced back, stifling a curse under his breath. He blocked my path yet again, waving his arms wide and gesturing with his wand. A wind blew gently across the stage, causing his cloak to billow out. The stage light darkened and Vilianie's voice took on a menacing tone.
"You swore an oath did you? How pathetic. you can't even protect yourself, let alone others, why I'd say your oath is for the birds."
From deep inside his cloak a swirl of black and purple accompanied by a cacophony of wheets and caws thundered from the deep folds of the heavy cloak. The swarm of birds dove at me, battering me with wings and beaks and talons, a literal murder of crows. I tried desperately to block them, or escape them.
"Are you sure you want to be a magician, apprentice? You don't even work well as a scarecrow!"
Vilianie's laugh echoed again thru the dark theater. I clawed my way through the biting birds, my body pock marked with welts. My healing factor kept them from getting too bad, but I was happy when I caught Vilianie by the lapels. The birds cawed and flew off to roost in some dark part of the theater. "Don't you understand the danger Courtney is in?" I pleaded with Vilianie.
He shook me off with a bluster of his hands. "I don't think you understand YOUR danger, Athena. This is a theater where magic rules, arbitrarily. Strong, deep, powerful and old magics, and only the powerful minds can fathom and shape it to their will. But I've never seen an apprentice take to it, other than Ms DeZastre. I dn't think you have what it takes frankly, not you. You're no more good as a magician than that previous apprentice."
His eyes glowed with an unearthly fire. "So you desire to fly? To be a bird? Then know your heart's desire!" He gestured emphatically with his wand and I felt myself turning feet up and reclining on my back. A scant seconf later, I was horizontal, unable to move my arms and floating four feet off the ground. My stomach churned.
I had flown before but it was always either in an airplane, or under my own control. I did not like the feeling I was experiencing now. Vilianie had swept me off my feet and I was almost completely powerless to resist him. Vilianie raised his arms, and I began rising higher into the air, into what my uncle had called the "gods." I felt myself flipping over, then dropping like a brick at the stage. I shrieked as the floor cam rushing up then I felt myself hovering, spining in a point five feet from the ground. I rotated on my side, then he spun me head over heels. Once more I rose, dizzy and disoriented. I looked as he hovered me over the stange, craning my head to see the sweep of the empty theater.
The two clowns were pulling a cannon onto the stage. One of them (Pickless I think) was dressed in a very poor impression of Elmer Fudd's hunting outfit. Vilianie noted my interest, and my revulsion in the clowns. "Have a closer look, why don't you?" He said, swooping me low. I flew unable to stop in between them bowling poor Herring into the cannon and toppling Pickless into the orchestra pit.
My own arch took me through the theater and upward again toward the stage control booth. I managed to work my hand free and caught the ledge of the control balcony, breaking free of Vilianie's wand for a moment. I rolled into the booth, and doused the spot beams; dropping the stage to darkness.
"Let's see how he likes that," I thought. I found the doorway out, and slipped into yet another long and dark hallway. After barricading the balcony door, I made my way down the corridor as fast as I could, while my eyes adjusted to the not so inky darkness. From behind me I could hear the cursing on stage, and finally someone managed to get the worklights on. Suddenly I head Vilianie's voice shouting "Tally Ho!"
A loud BOOM followed....
Something else was concerning me as well. Normally I could have snapped those ropes like so much wet tissue paper. But somehow I couldn't do it. Was something sapping my strength? Had Courtney's injections somehow drained my power or was there something more sinister at work here.
"Sorry about the ill mannered ropes,my new apprentice," said Vilianie, stomping on the rope as it tried to tangle around my foot again. The rope yelped (?!) and settled down. I felt the magicians hands roaming over my shoulders and sliding down my arms toward my...
"Hadn't we better rescue Courtney?" I asked, sounding braver than I felt. A piercing shriek echoed in the empty theater. I stepped forward, trying to get past Vilianie to help Courtney. His hand reached out, catching me in the breasts and holding me in place.
"Not so fast, my nubile young apprentice," he said with a salicious leer on his face. He pulled me close, encircling my waist with his free hand. Then releasing my breasts, he tugged and twirled one end of his mustache, smoothing and toying with it. "Ms DeZastre should learn to spend some quality time with the kitties, don't you agree? They really are magnificent creatures, though they have this unfortunate tendency to play with their food, sort of like Pickless and Herring."
I struggled in his grip, twisting and finally breaking free. I broke loose, heading toward stage right when I heard Courtney scream once more. I skidded, and instinctively leapt into the air, trying to take flight. I landed nose first on the ground at Vilianie's feet. He laughed hysterically, pulling a long string of silk hankies from his jacket pocket and wiping the tears from his eye with the last one.
"Oh my dear, that is really too rich." His voice quivered with laughter. "Were--were you actually trying to FLY? Ha ha ha ha." His jacket shook with the loud peals of mirthless glee. He grabbed my wrist and twisted it back. I gasped in pain, flinching.
"You can't fly yet, you're just an apprentice. You have to master...close up magic first." His head dipped into my neck, nuzzling. His goatee tickled along my neck, and I felt his velvet voice in my ears, mesmerizing. I felt limp, almost ready to yield to him when my mind jumped to the skull I had found in the basement. Courtney was in danger, and I wouldn't stand for another Lydia on my hands--not if I could stop it.
"I swore an oath to protect others. And I intend to keep it," I said breaking free from Vilianie again. My foot stepped on his. He danced back, stifling a curse under his breath. He blocked my path yet again, waving his arms wide and gesturing with his wand. A wind blew gently across the stage, causing his cloak to billow out. The stage light darkened and Vilianie's voice took on a menacing tone.
"You swore an oath did you? How pathetic. you can't even protect yourself, let alone others, why I'd say your oath is for the birds."
From deep inside his cloak a swirl of black and purple accompanied by a cacophony of wheets and caws thundered from the deep folds of the heavy cloak. The swarm of birds dove at me, battering me with wings and beaks and talons, a literal murder of crows. I tried desperately to block them, or escape them.
"Are you sure you want to be a magician, apprentice? You don't even work well as a scarecrow!"
Vilianie's laugh echoed again thru the dark theater. I clawed my way through the biting birds, my body pock marked with welts. My healing factor kept them from getting too bad, but I was happy when I caught Vilianie by the lapels. The birds cawed and flew off to roost in some dark part of the theater. "Don't you understand the danger Courtney is in?" I pleaded with Vilianie.
He shook me off with a bluster of his hands. "I don't think you understand YOUR danger, Athena. This is a theater where magic rules, arbitrarily. Strong, deep, powerful and old magics, and only the powerful minds can fathom and shape it to their will. But I've never seen an apprentice take to it, other than Ms DeZastre. I dn't think you have what it takes frankly, not you. You're no more good as a magician than that previous apprentice."
His eyes glowed with an unearthly fire. "So you desire to fly? To be a bird? Then know your heart's desire!" He gestured emphatically with his wand and I felt myself turning feet up and reclining on my back. A scant seconf later, I was horizontal, unable to move my arms and floating four feet off the ground. My stomach churned.
I had flown before but it was always either in an airplane, or under my own control. I did not like the feeling I was experiencing now. Vilianie had swept me off my feet and I was almost completely powerless to resist him. Vilianie raised his arms, and I began rising higher into the air, into what my uncle had called the "gods." I felt myself flipping over, then dropping like a brick at the stage. I shrieked as the floor cam rushing up then I felt myself hovering, spining in a point five feet from the ground. I rotated on my side, then he spun me head over heels. Once more I rose, dizzy and disoriented. I looked as he hovered me over the stange, craning my head to see the sweep of the empty theater.
The two clowns were pulling a cannon onto the stage. One of them (Pickless I think) was dressed in a very poor impression of Elmer Fudd's hunting outfit. Vilianie noted my interest, and my revulsion in the clowns. "Have a closer look, why don't you?" He said, swooping me low. I flew unable to stop in between them bowling poor Herring into the cannon and toppling Pickless into the orchestra pit.
My own arch took me through the theater and upward again toward the stage control booth. I managed to work my hand free and caught the ledge of the control balcony, breaking free of Vilianie's wand for a moment. I rolled into the booth, and doused the spot beams; dropping the stage to darkness.
"Let's see how he likes that," I thought. I found the doorway out, and slipped into yet another long and dark hallway. After barricading the balcony door, I made my way down the corridor as fast as I could, while my eyes adjusted to the not so inky darkness. From behind me I could hear the cursing on stage, and finally someone managed to get the worklights on. Suddenly I head Vilianie's voice shouting "Tally Ho!"
A loud BOOM followed....
My heart was racing as I dashed along the catwalk and into the upper level hallway. The hall wasn't quite dark, rather more like gloomy with dim glowing ambient lights illuminating and accentuating the murk. Behind me I heard the snuffling and growling sounds of the two clowns, along with the voice of Vilianie. "She's here somewhere, seek her out my little goblins!"
I turned to the right--heading back up through the balcony seats toward the stairwell. I figured they would guess I would head down, so I ran UP the stairwell. The landing was covered with dust and cobwebs, and I broke through, my skin crawling as the cobwebs brushed against my exposed skin. Beneath me, I could hear the thumping and stumbling of the clowns, and my skin was more on edge.
The upper level was empty, a dark hallway with several "practice" and storage rooms. I dashed along the hallway, toward the far end, hoping to head down the fire escape, or else through a back stairwell. I jumped, trying once more to fly, but crashed down again. This time though, I managed to maintain my balance and landed easily enough to keep running.
I looked back, seeing shadows looming on the stairwell behind me, and as I glanced back, I stumbled, falling over a rolled carpet on the floor. Was this whole theater conspiring against me?
I tucked and rolled, falling behind a large cabinet. Somehow, it made me feel safer, and I suddenly thought of my Uncle Harry.
I was eight, a wonderful time to be a small girl. My mother was ill at the time, and Harry was staying with us. At the time, I thought he was just being friendly, but I realized he was there to spend time with his sister before she passed away. Still, a real magician was a treasure to a small girl, and I begged him to show me some magic.
"Magic is all around us, Athena. Don't ever forget the fact that the world is full of magic." He gave me a wink and took me off to one side. "Alex is far too busy with his basketball, and little Diana is too young for this. But you-you have the makings of a good magician, Athena."
He took me aside and made me repeat the magician's oath. I promised not to reveal my secrets to anyone. In my dazed state, I realized this was something I was keeping even as a heroine. Still I was never so proud as the day he allowed me to perform with him at a small caberet.
I remembered the names of the great magicians my uncle taught me, Wilson, Brodine, Houdin and Houdini, Blackstone, Thurston. I was exhausted, leaning into the cabinet. my hand fell behind the wooden box and I felt something round, cool and smooth under my hands. My fingers stretched out further--further and I felt my gloves slipping around the handle of a wand.
At that moment I felt a set of hands grabbing at my wrist. Another set of hands, (and teeth) bit into my leg.
"OWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!" I wailed. I pulled my arm free and swung with the wand, crashing it down onto Pickless' head. The lean clown growled, dropping my arm and grabbing at his head. A nasty bump was growing where the wand hand hit, causing his pointy hat to rise up.
Herring bit my leag again and I kicked at him with my free leg. "You little toad!" I screamed. A shocked look crossed his face and I gazed in shock as his begain to shrivel. He grew warts and his legs grew long, his feet huge with webbing between his toes. He croaked at me and hopped behind the cabinet.
"Wha--what did I just do?"
"I might ask you the same thing," said Vilianie. I whirled as the mad master magician loomed ominously behind me. I saw his hands crossed, his dark wand still in his hand. "Herring is a valuable assistant, and it will require hours of searching to find him."
"Well you're hardly better than a toad either," I muttered. The wand glowed and a small blazing ball shot at Vilianie. He shook his head and waved his own wand. The ball hit Pickless and he shrieked. His angonized cries became deep croaking however, as he joined his companion under the cabinet.
"Now you've cost me TWO assistants, apprentice. Magic is not for the untutored. You will give me that wand."
"Like hell I will," I said. "I was set on rescuing Courtney, and I will. Now if you'll excuse me?"
the wand glowed and I felt myself moving then stopping. I was in the tiger cage. Courtney was lying face down on the ground, but oddly one tiger was sleeping while the other was washing his paw. I touched Courtney on the shoulder.
"Courtney?" I said. She moaned softly and rolled over. I lifted her gently, feeling msome of my strength flooding into my arms again. She was light in my arms and she nestled her head into my neck. I carried her out of the cage, still uncertain of either my total strength or if I could fly. I set her gently on a chair outside the cage, and locked the tigers up again.
"Poor things, I'll bet animal control could help you out, " I thought. I returned to Courtney, who was still making cooing noises. Surprisingly, there were no big scratches on her body, though her corset and bustier were torn and mauled horrifically.
"Are you quite finished with the melodrama?" I heard behind me. Vilianie could move even more silently than I could it seemed. It also seemed that he was constantly getting the drop on me.
"You've been a thorn in my side since you arrived here. You've upset the cats, the clowns and Ms DeZastre, apprentice. If I didn't know better, I'd say you weren't eager to learn magic."
"I was here in response to the screams of a young woman Vilianie. One who is still conveniently missing."
He smiled a toothy grin, and the way his eyebrows knit together gave him the sinister appearance I knew he had deep inside of him. "Indeed she is, Athena. when I disappears them, they stay disappeared." He raised his wand and gestured at mine.
"You appear to have some skill with Legerdemain. Shall we dance?"
I turned to the right--heading back up through the balcony seats toward the stairwell. I figured they would guess I would head down, so I ran UP the stairwell. The landing was covered with dust and cobwebs, and I broke through, my skin crawling as the cobwebs brushed against my exposed skin. Beneath me, I could hear the thumping and stumbling of the clowns, and my skin was more on edge.
The upper level was empty, a dark hallway with several "practice" and storage rooms. I dashed along the hallway, toward the far end, hoping to head down the fire escape, or else through a back stairwell. I jumped, trying once more to fly, but crashed down again. This time though, I managed to maintain my balance and landed easily enough to keep running.
I looked back, seeing shadows looming on the stairwell behind me, and as I glanced back, I stumbled, falling over a rolled carpet on the floor. Was this whole theater conspiring against me?
I tucked and rolled, falling behind a large cabinet. Somehow, it made me feel safer, and I suddenly thought of my Uncle Harry.
I was eight, a wonderful time to be a small girl. My mother was ill at the time, and Harry was staying with us. At the time, I thought he was just being friendly, but I realized he was there to spend time with his sister before she passed away. Still, a real magician was a treasure to a small girl, and I begged him to show me some magic.
"Magic is all around us, Athena. Don't ever forget the fact that the world is full of magic." He gave me a wink and took me off to one side. "Alex is far too busy with his basketball, and little Diana is too young for this. But you-you have the makings of a good magician, Athena."
He took me aside and made me repeat the magician's oath. I promised not to reveal my secrets to anyone. In my dazed state, I realized this was something I was keeping even as a heroine. Still I was never so proud as the day he allowed me to perform with him at a small caberet.
I remembered the names of the great magicians my uncle taught me, Wilson, Brodine, Houdin and Houdini, Blackstone, Thurston. I was exhausted, leaning into the cabinet. my hand fell behind the wooden box and I felt something round, cool and smooth under my hands. My fingers stretched out further--further and I felt my gloves slipping around the handle of a wand.
At that moment I felt a set of hands grabbing at my wrist. Another set of hands, (and teeth) bit into my leg.
"OWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!" I wailed. I pulled my arm free and swung with the wand, crashing it down onto Pickless' head. The lean clown growled, dropping my arm and grabbing at his head. A nasty bump was growing where the wand hand hit, causing his pointy hat to rise up.
Herring bit my leag again and I kicked at him with my free leg. "You little toad!" I screamed. A shocked look crossed his face and I gazed in shock as his begain to shrivel. He grew warts and his legs grew long, his feet huge with webbing between his toes. He croaked at me and hopped behind the cabinet.
"Wha--what did I just do?"
"I might ask you the same thing," said Vilianie. I whirled as the mad master magician loomed ominously behind me. I saw his hands crossed, his dark wand still in his hand. "Herring is a valuable assistant, and it will require hours of searching to find him."
"Well you're hardly better than a toad either," I muttered. The wand glowed and a small blazing ball shot at Vilianie. He shook his head and waved his own wand. The ball hit Pickless and he shrieked. His angonized cries became deep croaking however, as he joined his companion under the cabinet.
"Now you've cost me TWO assistants, apprentice. Magic is not for the untutored. You will give me that wand."
"Like hell I will," I said. "I was set on rescuing Courtney, and I will. Now if you'll excuse me?"
the wand glowed and I felt myself moving then stopping. I was in the tiger cage. Courtney was lying face down on the ground, but oddly one tiger was sleeping while the other was washing his paw. I touched Courtney on the shoulder.
"Courtney?" I said. She moaned softly and rolled over. I lifted her gently, feeling msome of my strength flooding into my arms again. She was light in my arms and she nestled her head into my neck. I carried her out of the cage, still uncertain of either my total strength or if I could fly. I set her gently on a chair outside the cage, and locked the tigers up again.
"Poor things, I'll bet animal control could help you out, " I thought. I returned to Courtney, who was still making cooing noises. Surprisingly, there were no big scratches on her body, though her corset and bustier were torn and mauled horrifically.
"Are you quite finished with the melodrama?" I heard behind me. Vilianie could move even more silently than I could it seemed. It also seemed that he was constantly getting the drop on me.
"You've been a thorn in my side since you arrived here. You've upset the cats, the clowns and Ms DeZastre, apprentice. If I didn't know better, I'd say you weren't eager to learn magic."
"I was here in response to the screams of a young woman Vilianie. One who is still conveniently missing."
He smiled a toothy grin, and the way his eyebrows knit together gave him the sinister appearance I knew he had deep inside of him. "Indeed she is, Athena. when I disappears them, they stay disappeared." He raised his wand and gestured at mine.
"You appear to have some skill with Legerdemain. Shall we dance?"
Shall we dance?"
The question hung in the air. I felt something palpable, mystical and slightly out of place in my life. Athena was a goddess of wisdom, but I needed assistance from one of her sisters in this case--I wondered if Hecate was listening to the prayers of unbelieving Owls.
I nodded and pointed. The wand in my hand glowed slightly. I gave it a slight flick and Vilianie's hat popped open, with a large bouquet of flowers steaming out of the top.
His eyes goggled at this. "What? Flowers here? Preposterous!" His own wand waved and the flowers became snakes, undulating and waving in the top of his hat. He waved again and the snakes became ramrod straight, steel knives. He doffed his hat and with a deft motion all the blades hurtled across the stage at me. I dodged most of them, though the little skirts in my costume were tagged pinning me to the wall.
"This wouldn't have happened if I had my old costume," I said and saw a shimmering glow around me. In a moment the golden assistant's bikini faded away and I felt the comforting folds of a clean Nu Silk costume around my body once more. Free from the wall I was ready to press my attack against Vilianie. But I stepped into a circle, then felt extreme heat as flames shot out, trapping me.
"Where there's fire, there's smoke, apprentice," laughed the mad mage. Through the flickering flames, I saw a plume of black smoke swirling around Vilianie and he disappeared behind it. The heat was unbearable, and any attempt on my part to pass through the flames only increased their intensity.
I pointed up with the wand in my hand and was rewarded by a rush of water from above, staunching the fire. I stepped from the circle and toward the swirl of black smoke across the stage. Then I remembered something from the homily last week, something Father Tim had said.
"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it," I said. A shaft of pure white light shot from my wand and I could see Vilianie wincing in pain from the lights.
"Damn your eyes woman! You'll ruin everything!" He covered his eyes with his cloak and gestured with the wand again. A flurry of cards shot out, razor edged. I dodged each of them, running through the light beam toward my quarry. Finally I caught him by his lapels.
"You're a slippery customer Vilainie, but there's still room on my dance card if you're willing to tango." I pulled his jacket down over his shoulders, pinning his arms to his side. He bucked a bit trying to break free, but my strength, confidence and cocky attitude were coming back strong.
I pulled the pocket square from his jacket, wrapping it tight around his shoulders and arms, pinning the master magician. The smoke began to disappate, and I stepped forward into the spotlight with Vilianie struggling under my control. "You're going to jail, my friend. And I seriously doubt you're going to be able to escape from there."
"Oh you wait missy, you'll get yours."
"When? In Twenty to Life--UHHHHHNNNNN!!!!" The heavy Indian juggling club came down with a savage CRACK against my already tender skull. I spun, my eyes growing heavy as I spotted Courtney, now back on her feet again.
"I told you to keep your hands off my man, " she smirked.
The question hung in the air. I felt something palpable, mystical and slightly out of place in my life. Athena was a goddess of wisdom, but I needed assistance from one of her sisters in this case--I wondered if Hecate was listening to the prayers of unbelieving Owls.
I nodded and pointed. The wand in my hand glowed slightly. I gave it a slight flick and Vilianie's hat popped open, with a large bouquet of flowers steaming out of the top.
His eyes goggled at this. "What? Flowers here? Preposterous!" His own wand waved and the flowers became snakes, undulating and waving in the top of his hat. He waved again and the snakes became ramrod straight, steel knives. He doffed his hat and with a deft motion all the blades hurtled across the stage at me. I dodged most of them, though the little skirts in my costume were tagged pinning me to the wall.
"This wouldn't have happened if I had my old costume," I said and saw a shimmering glow around me. In a moment the golden assistant's bikini faded away and I felt the comforting folds of a clean Nu Silk costume around my body once more. Free from the wall I was ready to press my attack against Vilianie. But I stepped into a circle, then felt extreme heat as flames shot out, trapping me.
"Where there's fire, there's smoke, apprentice," laughed the mad mage. Through the flickering flames, I saw a plume of black smoke swirling around Vilianie and he disappeared behind it. The heat was unbearable, and any attempt on my part to pass through the flames only increased their intensity.
I pointed up with the wand in my hand and was rewarded by a rush of water from above, staunching the fire. I stepped from the circle and toward the swirl of black smoke across the stage. Then I remembered something from the homily last week, something Father Tim had said.
"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it," I said. A shaft of pure white light shot from my wand and I could see Vilianie wincing in pain from the lights.
"Damn your eyes woman! You'll ruin everything!" He covered his eyes with his cloak and gestured with the wand again. A flurry of cards shot out, razor edged. I dodged each of them, running through the light beam toward my quarry. Finally I caught him by his lapels.
"You're a slippery customer Vilainie, but there's still room on my dance card if you're willing to tango." I pulled his jacket down over his shoulders, pinning his arms to his side. He bucked a bit trying to break free, but my strength, confidence and cocky attitude were coming back strong.
I pulled the pocket square from his jacket, wrapping it tight around his shoulders and arms, pinning the master magician. The smoke began to disappate, and I stepped forward into the spotlight with Vilianie struggling under my control. "You're going to jail, my friend. And I seriously doubt you're going to be able to escape from there."
"Oh you wait missy, you'll get yours."
"When? In Twenty to Life--UHHHHHNNNNN!!!!" The heavy Indian juggling club came down with a savage CRACK against my already tender skull. I spun, my eyes growing heavy as I spotted Courtney, now back on her feet again.
"I told you to keep your hands off my man, " she smirked.
I dropped to my knees stunned by Courtney's savage and unexpected assault. My head lolled back and I gazed at her with glassy eyes. "W-why?" was all I could splutter.
"You're an apprentice!" she hissed. "You're not supposed to be the ingenue for some time yet. And I'm not giving up on him--he's mine!" Her hand gesticulated wildly at the form of Vilianie, who was watching all of this with a slightly bemused smirk on his face.
"How wonderful, two women fighting over me," he snickered gleefully. "It's almost magical."
I spared a glance and him and immediately regretted it. Courtney brought her juggling club down on my head again and I saw stars. I lurched forward, catching myself and pushing up. coming to my feet. My equilibrium was slightly off, but I managed to keep my feet.
I caught Courtney's arm as she swung at me again, twisting her wrist back and forcing her to drop the club. It landed on the stage with a loud clatter. I kicked it to the side; after all, it wouldn't do me good to trip over the pin.
"This ends now, " I glowered at Courtney. Glancing down I could see the deep scars on her wrists. She had apparently been a cutter in her previous existance, only recovering to be the Judas Goat leading innocents to slaughter in this abbatoir.
She jabbed at me with her razor sharp nails and I felt the skin on my upper arm tear. I winced and threw Couortney into the orchestra pit. She fell into a tuba, where she wound up wedged in the bell of the instrument. The look on her face changed rapidly from fury to frustration as she struggled to get free. She fell forward, landing on her hands and feet. Grumpily she scuttled across the orchestra pit litk a hermit crab; disappearing down the orchestra stairs.
I laughed at her but as turned to face VilianieI felt something hit me low in the knees while another weight landed around my shoulders. I stumbled, falling foward as the heavy objects proceded to kick gouge and bite at me. The heavy scent of cheap booze, sweat and greasepaint was overpowereing and more than enough to tell me Pickless and Herring and made their triumphant returns.
I shuddered, swallowing my fear and rolled over. I felt herring biting into my leg, growling through a mouthful of tights and skin. "Get off me," I shouted, and flicked the clown into the wall. He tumbled expertly and landed on his feet, then came loping back at me with fire in his eyes.
Pickless on the other hand was scambling around on my back like a monkey on crack, grabbing at my upper arms and trying to pin them tight behind me. No matter which way I turned, he was there, almost as if he were reading my mind, and his hands pawed at my arms and breasts with a sinister purpose. This dismal dancing brought me pirouetting toward Vilianie, and when I finally managed to get Pickless off my back. Vilianie was standing there with his wand raised.
"Tut tut, such a brawl. And I think you did indicate four tricks my dear. So its time for your last one." He pointed and two heavy gold bracelets clamped onto my wrists. I suddenly felt my body grow stiff andVilianie lifted me from the floor,. I rotated onto my back, then was dropped suddenly and with a violent slam . Somehow I was in a long box, with a stock for my head and feet . My arms were raised in front of me and a lid came slamming down on top of me. my hands fit through two holes on the outside of the lid and the two heavy bracelets suddenly found a mutual attraction. I couldn't pull free, and I was stuck in the tight box.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Vilianie? Let me out of here!"
The sinister magician stopped smiling a moment and put his hand on the lid of the box. His voice went from mocking to dark as he leaned over to me. "You're a box jumper, my dear; and that's something I can't have. You've done nothing but refuse my hospitality, my kind invitation to join my merry band, and snooped where you've no right to be snooping."
He pulled himself erect, covering himself with a swirling cloak. "In short, my dear, the time has come for you to part. To exit both stage left AND right." As he spoke, he held his hand out. A pause ensued, growing longer with each second. I continued to struggle, moving my wrists to and fro, trying to break everything loose, but the gold bracers seemed permanently affixed to my wrists.
To my left I finally heard, "Time for you to PART!!!! That's a CUE people!" From the corner of my eye I spotted Courtney, still crablike in the tuba come scuttling onstage. The two clowns were riding on her back, Pickless swatting the hapless assistant with a tiny crop, Herring carefully holding a large black plastic case.
Courtney glared daggers at me as she stood silently at the side of the stage. Herring handed the case to Vilianie and tumbled back, an evil leer on his face. With a flourish, Vilianie opened the case and pulled out a Sawzryt chainsaw.
"N..no! You..you can't be..serious?" I stuttered, losing no small measure of composure.
"Oh I assure you I am. This is my greatest magic, Athena. I shall cut you in half."
"And put me back together?"
"Where would the fun be in that?" Vilianie snapped a pair of safety goggles around his face. "Besisdes, I believe you owe the clowns an apology for turning them into frogs."
He reached for the starting cord on the chainsaw, then stopped for a moment. "COURTNEY! Where is that wand this troublesome woman was using? I was certain we had them all gathered up!"
From off stage, I heard, "I don't know Mr V. We're still looking for it."
Vilianie growled and looked at me, his hands grabbing my chin tightly and forcing me into looking at him. "I son't know how you did it box jumper, but somehow you tapped into the magic of the theater. Only the sharpest minds can do that, and mine is the strongest here, do you understand? "
He released my jaw and grabbed the pull cord on the chainsaw. "It won't matter though," he said. "In a minute or so, your mind will be busy with something else."
He tugged on the cord and the saw roared to life. Vilainie apprached me and I shouted. "No You can't do this, its murder. You'll kill me!"
"It's not murder, its MAGIC!" he shouted over the sound of the saw. He released the guard, and the chain began whirling dangerously over the guide. He aimed it over the middle of the box and I heard the sound of wood being eaten away as the chainsaw bit deep.
The smell of smoke and oil hung in the musty theater air and I shrieked as the firt of the saws teeth hung scant inches above my waist. The sharp blade cut faster and deeper into the box and I felt it hit my stomach. I screamed and closed my eyes.
A moment later, silence reigned on the stage of the Theater of Illusions of Grandeur.
"You're an apprentice!" she hissed. "You're not supposed to be the ingenue for some time yet. And I'm not giving up on him--he's mine!" Her hand gesticulated wildly at the form of Vilianie, who was watching all of this with a slightly bemused smirk on his face.
"How wonderful, two women fighting over me," he snickered gleefully. "It's almost magical."
I spared a glance and him and immediately regretted it. Courtney brought her juggling club down on my head again and I saw stars. I lurched forward, catching myself and pushing up. coming to my feet. My equilibrium was slightly off, but I managed to keep my feet.
I caught Courtney's arm as she swung at me again, twisting her wrist back and forcing her to drop the club. It landed on the stage with a loud clatter. I kicked it to the side; after all, it wouldn't do me good to trip over the pin.
"This ends now, " I glowered at Courtney. Glancing down I could see the deep scars on her wrists. She had apparently been a cutter in her previous existance, only recovering to be the Judas Goat leading innocents to slaughter in this abbatoir.
She jabbed at me with her razor sharp nails and I felt the skin on my upper arm tear. I winced and threw Couortney into the orchestra pit. She fell into a tuba, where she wound up wedged in the bell of the instrument. The look on her face changed rapidly from fury to frustration as she struggled to get free. She fell forward, landing on her hands and feet. Grumpily she scuttled across the orchestra pit litk a hermit crab; disappearing down the orchestra stairs.
I laughed at her but as turned to face VilianieI felt something hit me low in the knees while another weight landed around my shoulders. I stumbled, falling foward as the heavy objects proceded to kick gouge and bite at me. The heavy scent of cheap booze, sweat and greasepaint was overpowereing and more than enough to tell me Pickless and Herring and made their triumphant returns.
I shuddered, swallowing my fear and rolled over. I felt herring biting into my leg, growling through a mouthful of tights and skin. "Get off me," I shouted, and flicked the clown into the wall. He tumbled expertly and landed on his feet, then came loping back at me with fire in his eyes.
Pickless on the other hand was scambling around on my back like a monkey on crack, grabbing at my upper arms and trying to pin them tight behind me. No matter which way I turned, he was there, almost as if he were reading my mind, and his hands pawed at my arms and breasts with a sinister purpose. This dismal dancing brought me pirouetting toward Vilianie, and when I finally managed to get Pickless off my back. Vilianie was standing there with his wand raised.
"Tut tut, such a brawl. And I think you did indicate four tricks my dear. So its time for your last one." He pointed and two heavy gold bracelets clamped onto my wrists. I suddenly felt my body grow stiff andVilianie lifted me from the floor,. I rotated onto my back, then was dropped suddenly and with a violent slam . Somehow I was in a long box, with a stock for my head and feet . My arms were raised in front of me and a lid came slamming down on top of me. my hands fit through two holes on the outside of the lid and the two heavy bracelets suddenly found a mutual attraction. I couldn't pull free, and I was stuck in the tight box.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Vilianie? Let me out of here!"
The sinister magician stopped smiling a moment and put his hand on the lid of the box. His voice went from mocking to dark as he leaned over to me. "You're a box jumper, my dear; and that's something I can't have. You've done nothing but refuse my hospitality, my kind invitation to join my merry band, and snooped where you've no right to be snooping."
He pulled himself erect, covering himself with a swirling cloak. "In short, my dear, the time has come for you to part. To exit both stage left AND right." As he spoke, he held his hand out. A pause ensued, growing longer with each second. I continued to struggle, moving my wrists to and fro, trying to break everything loose, but the gold bracers seemed permanently affixed to my wrists.
To my left I finally heard, "Time for you to PART!!!! That's a CUE people!" From the corner of my eye I spotted Courtney, still crablike in the tuba come scuttling onstage. The two clowns were riding on her back, Pickless swatting the hapless assistant with a tiny crop, Herring carefully holding a large black plastic case.
Courtney glared daggers at me as she stood silently at the side of the stage. Herring handed the case to Vilianie and tumbled back, an evil leer on his face. With a flourish, Vilianie opened the case and pulled out a Sawzryt chainsaw.
"N..no! You..you can't be..serious?" I stuttered, losing no small measure of composure.
"Oh I assure you I am. This is my greatest magic, Athena. I shall cut you in half."
"And put me back together?"
"Where would the fun be in that?" Vilianie snapped a pair of safety goggles around his face. "Besisdes, I believe you owe the clowns an apology for turning them into frogs."
He reached for the starting cord on the chainsaw, then stopped for a moment. "COURTNEY! Where is that wand this troublesome woman was using? I was certain we had them all gathered up!"
From off stage, I heard, "I don't know Mr V. We're still looking for it."
Vilianie growled and looked at me, his hands grabbing my chin tightly and forcing me into looking at him. "I son't know how you did it box jumper, but somehow you tapped into the magic of the theater. Only the sharpest minds can do that, and mine is the strongest here, do you understand? "
He released my jaw and grabbed the pull cord on the chainsaw. "It won't matter though," he said. "In a minute or so, your mind will be busy with something else."
He tugged on the cord and the saw roared to life. Vilainie apprached me and I shouted. "No You can't do this, its murder. You'll kill me!"
"It's not murder, its MAGIC!" he shouted over the sound of the saw. He released the guard, and the chain began whirling dangerously over the guide. He aimed it over the middle of the box and I heard the sound of wood being eaten away as the chainsaw bit deep.
The smell of smoke and oil hung in the musty theater air and I shrieked as the firt of the saws teeth hung scant inches above my waist. The sharp blade cut faster and deeper into the box and I felt it hit my stomach. I screamed and closed my eyes.
A moment later, silence reigned on the stage of the Theater of Illusions of Grandeur.
Silence reigned in the empty theater. Vilianie cut the chainsaw and carefully placed it back into the black plastic case. Pickless took the case and caperd off stage while Vilainie took a dirty towel from Herring. Grimacing at the sight of the reddened cloth, he found a relatively clean corner and mopped his hands on it. With a heavy sigh and a shake of the head he handed the towel back to Herring and said, "Wash it this time."
He turned back to the unmoving figure in the sawn box. Placing one hand on my bound wrists and the other on my chin, he said, "Wakey wakey! We can't have you sleeping for the really good stuff!"
With a groan of pain I weakly opened an eye at him. My jaw was slack in his hand and with a groggy voice, I said, "A...am I..I dying...?"
Vilianie was giddy with glee. "No of course not! At least not yet! You still have about five minutes before you bleed out and all over the floor. And beides, the magic isn't over yet. They may have seen me run a chainsaw thrugh you but do you think that's enough? Of course not!"
He gestured, and I spared a glance at the theater. Despite his protests to the contrary, I still saw no one in the theater. Something else he said finally registered and I looked at him. "Magi not over?"
"No of course not you silly little box jumper! There's ever so much more to the trick than a mere chainsaw." Villianie stood erect, and bowed, acknowledging unheard applause. He put his hands high in the air to still it, then placed a palm on either side of the cut.
"W..wait!" I mustered up a croaking cry. "Shouldn't there be a divider or something?"
"Afraid you'll spill your guts?" chuckled Vilianie. "Oh sure, those OTHER magicians use dividers because they're performing illusions. I keep telling you, though, THIS is magic." With that, he thrust the two segments of the box apart. I felt an icy tingle running up my spine. Vilianie, ever the showman, wheeled the lower half of the box around the stage, placing it to my right. I stared at the familiar white calfskin boots, still not totally comprehending.
"Are those my feet?" I asked feebly.
"Are those my feet?" jeered Vilainie. "Of course they are!" He looked over the top of the box at the floor. "My my, you've got a lot of blood! Of course you have less of it NOW, but still, that's quite a mess."
I was growing colder with each word he uttered. I shivered.
"Stay with me apprentice, we still need to finish the act. We don't die in Queen City, we die in Kansas City." Rolling his eyes, he said, sotto voce, "Every time."
I grimaced, feeling the life oozing from me. Vilianie waved a wand and suddenly I felt warmer; though still extremely weak. "There that should keep you for just a few minutes longer."
He turned to the "audience." "And now ladies and gents, further proof that division can be fun." He tugged on a boot and I saw my foot pointing at my face. In disbelief I wiggled my toe and saw it react. I shuddered in disgust and fear.
"Oh don't be so squeamish! Enjoy your last minutes of life, apprentice! Laugh a little!" From out of nowhere, he conjured a large ostrich plume. Catching my bare foot, he began to rub the soft downy feather across my foot. "Heh, heh...st--stop!" I said. my body wracked in pain and pleasure. Unable to control myself I howled in laughter, riotous.
The clowns capered and giggled, delighted by my discomfort. The tears rolling down my face showed them in misty distortion. One of them unlatched the upper box and flipped the lid. I heard it bang against the side of my cage. With a surprising agility he flipped up over the box, landing soundly against either side.
"Gimme gimme," he muttered, groping for my breasts thrugh the NuSilk of my costume. The unmistakeable smell of gefilte fish crossed my nostrils and I realized this was Herring. I raised my knee to kick him in his tiny jewels and heard myself cry in pain as my knee and ankles banged against the top of the bottom box.
OWWWW!!! I groaned. Herring laughed, leaned over and bit my nose. I cried out then gelt more teeth at my bare foot.
"Mine mine," rasped Pickless.
"Shoo!" said Vilainie. "You're like kids at Christmas, always too eager." He looked at me almost apologetically. "They're eager. Its not often they get such a new and strong willed toy."
He wheeled the box back around so it faced my abdomen once again. "Now lets see, how does that go again? I was always good at division, but simple adding is always hard for me."
I felt the two boxes come together with a thump. Vilianie smiled and said, "Now my dear Athena, could you kindly pull yourself together?" He smiled at his joke, and proceded to walk off stage. "I think we'll need to put another ad out for an assistant Courtney! This one is broken and will soon be a toy for the clowns.
But I could feel the healing factor working overtime, pulling the skin together, knitting the veins and muscles into proper alignment.
Additionally, I felt my strength recycling as well--apparently there was more than magic at work here. I pulled the manacles on my wrists, and heard the links snap. I pulled my arms into the box, and pressed against the sides. My hand closed over a small but familiar object; the missing wand felt good in my hand.
I shattered the box, breaking out onto the stage.
"VILIANIE!" I shouted. "Come back and face me." The magician stopped, stunned. Slowly he turned, step by step, inch by inch...
"Well well, some things never fail to amaze me. Why aren't you dead?" he asked.
I have a strong life wish," I said. Without giving him time to ripost, I leapt across the stage, flying at him. He was aiming his wand at me when I slammed into him with a powerful punch.
A bright flame shot from the wand and past my ear. Vilianie tumbled back, shocked by the savage suddeness of my attack. He came to his feet, growling, "An apprentice should learn deportment, and gentleness, and that the magician is always in control."
His hand shook as he raised his wand and I jumped up and grabbed his wrist.
"Release me, you costumed buffoon!" he shouted.
"Sorry, someone else has that name. I'm White Owl." I was relentless, punching him in the stomach then the jaw. He sagged to the floor and I heard the pitter patter of big floppy clown shoes thumping across the stage. I turned and glared. The clowns froze in their tracks--then trembled when they saw I still had the wand in my hand.
The stage was growing warmer. I looked up to see Vilianie's fireball had started the velvet curtains on fire. The flames spread rapidly across the dilapidated fabric, leaping to the curtains in the stage level balcony seats. "FIRE! I shouted. "FIRE everyone get out."
Smoke started filling the large theater. I couldn't see anyone moving, but every step I took toward the backstage was blocked by Vilianie's mystic flames. Finally, I retreated out of the theater, into the cool night air of Queen City.
I stumbled coughing into the street, and crossed to the other side, waiting for the fire trucks. The evening air was as clear as it ever gets in June, and I breathed deep. Surprisingly, I didn't smell smoke or feel heat as I left the theater. Turning around, I saw the building was gone, as though it had never existed.
But I had proof of two sorts. The first was my uniform, cut in half and held in place by my tool belt, and the wand in my hand. My mind was way to fuzzy to dope it out though, so I flew home to a hot bath and sleep, to restore my faculties.
He turned back to the unmoving figure in the sawn box. Placing one hand on my bound wrists and the other on my chin, he said, "Wakey wakey! We can't have you sleeping for the really good stuff!"
With a groan of pain I weakly opened an eye at him. My jaw was slack in his hand and with a groggy voice, I said, "A...am I..I dying...?"
Vilianie was giddy with glee. "No of course not! At least not yet! You still have about five minutes before you bleed out and all over the floor. And beides, the magic isn't over yet. They may have seen me run a chainsaw thrugh you but do you think that's enough? Of course not!"
He gestured, and I spared a glance at the theater. Despite his protests to the contrary, I still saw no one in the theater. Something else he said finally registered and I looked at him. "Magi not over?"
"No of course not you silly little box jumper! There's ever so much more to the trick than a mere chainsaw." Villianie stood erect, and bowed, acknowledging unheard applause. He put his hands high in the air to still it, then placed a palm on either side of the cut.
"W..wait!" I mustered up a croaking cry. "Shouldn't there be a divider or something?"
"Afraid you'll spill your guts?" chuckled Vilianie. "Oh sure, those OTHER magicians use dividers because they're performing illusions. I keep telling you, though, THIS is magic." With that, he thrust the two segments of the box apart. I felt an icy tingle running up my spine. Vilianie, ever the showman, wheeled the lower half of the box around the stage, placing it to my right. I stared at the familiar white calfskin boots, still not totally comprehending.
"Are those my feet?" I asked feebly.
"Are those my feet?" jeered Vilainie. "Of course they are!" He looked over the top of the box at the floor. "My my, you've got a lot of blood! Of course you have less of it NOW, but still, that's quite a mess."
I was growing colder with each word he uttered. I shivered.
"Stay with me apprentice, we still need to finish the act. We don't die in Queen City, we die in Kansas City." Rolling his eyes, he said, sotto voce, "Every time."
I grimaced, feeling the life oozing from me. Vilianie waved a wand and suddenly I felt warmer; though still extremely weak. "There that should keep you for just a few minutes longer."
He turned to the "audience." "And now ladies and gents, further proof that division can be fun." He tugged on a boot and I saw my foot pointing at my face. In disbelief I wiggled my toe and saw it react. I shuddered in disgust and fear.
"Oh don't be so squeamish! Enjoy your last minutes of life, apprentice! Laugh a little!" From out of nowhere, he conjured a large ostrich plume. Catching my bare foot, he began to rub the soft downy feather across my foot. "Heh, heh...st--stop!" I said. my body wracked in pain and pleasure. Unable to control myself I howled in laughter, riotous.
The clowns capered and giggled, delighted by my discomfort. The tears rolling down my face showed them in misty distortion. One of them unlatched the upper box and flipped the lid. I heard it bang against the side of my cage. With a surprising agility he flipped up over the box, landing soundly against either side.
"Gimme gimme," he muttered, groping for my breasts thrugh the NuSilk of my costume. The unmistakeable smell of gefilte fish crossed my nostrils and I realized this was Herring. I raised my knee to kick him in his tiny jewels and heard myself cry in pain as my knee and ankles banged against the top of the bottom box.
OWWWW!!! I groaned. Herring laughed, leaned over and bit my nose. I cried out then gelt more teeth at my bare foot.
"Mine mine," rasped Pickless.
"Shoo!" said Vilainie. "You're like kids at Christmas, always too eager." He looked at me almost apologetically. "They're eager. Its not often they get such a new and strong willed toy."
He wheeled the box back around so it faced my abdomen once again. "Now lets see, how does that go again? I was always good at division, but simple adding is always hard for me."
I felt the two boxes come together with a thump. Vilianie smiled and said, "Now my dear Athena, could you kindly pull yourself together?" He smiled at his joke, and proceded to walk off stage. "I think we'll need to put another ad out for an assistant Courtney! This one is broken and will soon be a toy for the clowns.
But I could feel the healing factor working overtime, pulling the skin together, knitting the veins and muscles into proper alignment.
Additionally, I felt my strength recycling as well--apparently there was more than magic at work here. I pulled the manacles on my wrists, and heard the links snap. I pulled my arms into the box, and pressed against the sides. My hand closed over a small but familiar object; the missing wand felt good in my hand.
I shattered the box, breaking out onto the stage.
"VILIANIE!" I shouted. "Come back and face me." The magician stopped, stunned. Slowly he turned, step by step, inch by inch...
"Well well, some things never fail to amaze me. Why aren't you dead?" he asked.
I have a strong life wish," I said. Without giving him time to ripost, I leapt across the stage, flying at him. He was aiming his wand at me when I slammed into him with a powerful punch.
A bright flame shot from the wand and past my ear. Vilianie tumbled back, shocked by the savage suddeness of my attack. He came to his feet, growling, "An apprentice should learn deportment, and gentleness, and that the magician is always in control."
His hand shook as he raised his wand and I jumped up and grabbed his wrist.
"Release me, you costumed buffoon!" he shouted.
"Sorry, someone else has that name. I'm White Owl." I was relentless, punching him in the stomach then the jaw. He sagged to the floor and I heard the pitter patter of big floppy clown shoes thumping across the stage. I turned and glared. The clowns froze in their tracks--then trembled when they saw I still had the wand in my hand.
The stage was growing warmer. I looked up to see Vilianie's fireball had started the velvet curtains on fire. The flames spread rapidly across the dilapidated fabric, leaping to the curtains in the stage level balcony seats. "FIRE! I shouted. "FIRE everyone get out."
Smoke started filling the large theater. I couldn't see anyone moving, but every step I took toward the backstage was blocked by Vilianie's mystic flames. Finally, I retreated out of the theater, into the cool night air of Queen City.
I stumbled coughing into the street, and crossed to the other side, waiting for the fire trucks. The evening air was as clear as it ever gets in June, and I breathed deep. Surprisingly, I didn't smell smoke or feel heat as I left the theater. Turning around, I saw the building was gone, as though it had never existed.
But I had proof of two sorts. The first was my uniform, cut in half and held in place by my tool belt, and the wand in my hand. My mind was way to fuzzy to dope it out though, so I flew home to a hot bath and sleep, to restore my faculties.
It was a restless night. I didn't sleep well feeling pained all night long from the chainsaw. Every time I closed my eyes, I would see the looming, leering faces of Pickless, Herring, Courtney and Vilainie. I managed to slip off to sleep somewhere around three, I think, and slept for a couple of hours.
Finally, as dawn was turning the eastern sky rosy, I crawled out of bed, still feeling more than a stich in my side. Daisy padded down the stairs of my loft ahead of me, eager for her morning kibble. I poured the cat food into her dish, then started the coffee brewing. Opening my robe, I looked at the bright red scarring on my waist. It burned against my hands and I bit back a gasp as the pain surged up my spine.
Normally, my goddess-given healing factor would have taken care of any illness or microbes left from my near death experience. But something was hindering it. I went into the bathroom, and found the all purpose antibiotic Dr Abu Rimelleh ahd prescribed, just in case. I swallowed two of the pills and washed them down with my morning coffee.
I was still concerned about the missing Lydia and the missing theater, so I sat at the computer and began accessing city records and police reports. But there was nothing recent that I could find in any of them. My side was hurting even more, so I grumbled and reluctantly reached for my phone, to call my Doctor.
I staggered at that moment, and grabbed at the desk. My hands fell on the wand I'd brought back from the Empire Theater with me. In the shutter darkened room, I noticed it began glowing. A yellow shaft of light shot out of the top, spiking against my wrist.
"AUUUGGGHHH!!!!" I shouted, dropping the wand. It rolled under the dest and I fell back, shaking my hand in pain. The tingling in my body began to stop, and as it left, I felt the pain in my side receding.
"What the..?"
I pulled the robe aside again...the scar was gone. Not dwindling, gone! Almost like the theater.
I jusmped to my feet and dashed back to the loft for another costume. Five minutes later, and probably against better judgement, I was aireborne. I flew through the morning sunshine back to the side street where I saw the Empire the previous night.
The street was bare. A high wood fence surrounded the spot where the theater had stood. From above, I saw a vacant lot, with no sign of any magic or mahem from the previous night. I spotted a familiar Buick nearby though, at a Large Lad. I swooped down and waited. Sure enough, Lieutenant Don Winslow, QCPD soon emerged, licking tarter sauce from his fingers.
It took a while, but I explained my story to him. Finally he nodded. "You seem to attract wierd things White Owl. I suppose its a curse of that mask you're wearing. Still I think I can help you."
An hour later, I was listening to Lydia, an elderly woman working in the records department at city hall. In front of her was a plat book for the 1920's in Queen City. "The Empire was a second rate vaudeville stage," she explained. "It was destroyed by a fire one night when a magician's tricks went awry."
I nodded. The location was the same as where I'd been. "Have there ever been any "ghost stories" about the Empire?"
"None that I know of--though my family had a theory about my aunt. She disappeared about the same time the theater burned. I'm named for her you know." My head snapped up at that, but I held my tongue.
****
Saturday night finally arrived and my family gathered in Manolo's resaurant, across the street from the theater where Uncle Harry was performing. I had waited until the last moment, keeping my surprise a secret. The doors the flew open, and I entered with an attractive brown haired man on my arm.
"Ladies and gentlemen," I announced to the assembles siblings and in laws. "This is my date, Val Constantine. He's my trainer." He was something more than that, and I prayed the world could get by tonight without the aid of White Owl or Captain Valiant.
The magic show was wonderful, and the magic after the show was more than that.
the end....?
Finally, as dawn was turning the eastern sky rosy, I crawled out of bed, still feeling more than a stich in my side. Daisy padded down the stairs of my loft ahead of me, eager for her morning kibble. I poured the cat food into her dish, then started the coffee brewing. Opening my robe, I looked at the bright red scarring on my waist. It burned against my hands and I bit back a gasp as the pain surged up my spine.
Normally, my goddess-given healing factor would have taken care of any illness or microbes left from my near death experience. But something was hindering it. I went into the bathroom, and found the all purpose antibiotic Dr Abu Rimelleh ahd prescribed, just in case. I swallowed two of the pills and washed them down with my morning coffee.
I was still concerned about the missing Lydia and the missing theater, so I sat at the computer and began accessing city records and police reports. But there was nothing recent that I could find in any of them. My side was hurting even more, so I grumbled and reluctantly reached for my phone, to call my Doctor.
I staggered at that moment, and grabbed at the desk. My hands fell on the wand I'd brought back from the Empire Theater with me. In the shutter darkened room, I noticed it began glowing. A yellow shaft of light shot out of the top, spiking against my wrist.
"AUUUGGGHHH!!!!" I shouted, dropping the wand. It rolled under the dest and I fell back, shaking my hand in pain. The tingling in my body began to stop, and as it left, I felt the pain in my side receding.
"What the..?"
I pulled the robe aside again...the scar was gone. Not dwindling, gone! Almost like the theater.
I jusmped to my feet and dashed back to the loft for another costume. Five minutes later, and probably against better judgement, I was aireborne. I flew through the morning sunshine back to the side street where I saw the Empire the previous night.
The street was bare. A high wood fence surrounded the spot where the theater had stood. From above, I saw a vacant lot, with no sign of any magic or mahem from the previous night. I spotted a familiar Buick nearby though, at a Large Lad. I swooped down and waited. Sure enough, Lieutenant Don Winslow, QCPD soon emerged, licking tarter sauce from his fingers.
It took a while, but I explained my story to him. Finally he nodded. "You seem to attract wierd things White Owl. I suppose its a curse of that mask you're wearing. Still I think I can help you."
An hour later, I was listening to Lydia, an elderly woman working in the records department at city hall. In front of her was a plat book for the 1920's in Queen City. "The Empire was a second rate vaudeville stage," she explained. "It was destroyed by a fire one night when a magician's tricks went awry."
I nodded. The location was the same as where I'd been. "Have there ever been any "ghost stories" about the Empire?"
"None that I know of--though my family had a theory about my aunt. She disappeared about the same time the theater burned. I'm named for her you know." My head snapped up at that, but I held my tongue.
****
Saturday night finally arrived and my family gathered in Manolo's resaurant, across the street from the theater where Uncle Harry was performing. I had waited until the last moment, keeping my surprise a secret. The doors the flew open, and I entered with an attractive brown haired man on my arm.
"Ladies and gentlemen," I announced to the assembles siblings and in laws. "This is my date, Val Constantine. He's my trainer." He was something more than that, and I prayed the world could get by tonight without the aid of White Owl or Captain Valiant.
The magic show was wonderful, and the magic after the show was more than that.
the end....?
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