Forever Young The Beginning (31 page)

He turned away slowly. His anger built
as he flew about the cellar eyes blazing, his blade and arms a blur
of motion. There arose an unearthly chorus of screams. In seconds
the remaining hands of the five other vampires were severed, and
kicked into the farthest corner of the cellar

Shouting above the din Ian said “Li
stand this one up if you please.”

Li stood the designated one up and Ian
stepped forward and using two hands struck his head from his body.
They proceeded through the remainder who howled and cursed.
Cosette, Henri, and Marie held one skewered, pinned to the floor in
the other room. He was one with his face and throat still intact,
but missing an arm and foot. They held him down with their three
sabers through his chest. Henri put one foot on his remaining leg
while Marie put one foot on his remaining arm.

Ian had just lopped off the fifth
head. The heads lay all staring, their eyes rolling while they
tried to scream. It was the stuff of nightmares. He then came to
Cosette and Marie with concern. “Are either of you cut?

Marie said “Yes. Both of us are, but
the cuts are beginning to close. We’ll refresh ourselves outside
when this is done.”

He looked to Cosette who nodded. He
saw that her blouse was cut viciously across her abdomen. She said
“Ian, you are cut in three places!”

“
I’ll be all right.” He
grimaced then as he had not realized until then that he was cut.
“How are you?”

“
I’m all right, Ian. Marie
is cut on both arms.”

“
Henri?”

“
Just my thigh and my
shoulder.”

“
Li?”

“
Just my chest and left
arm.”

“
Li, why don’t you relieve
Cosette and Marie? We have some unfinished business with this one.
Marie, why don’t you and Cosette go outside?”

“
No. I want to hear what
this piece of sewage has to say.”

Ian looked to Cosette who nodded.
Without a word he looked around and found a forearm. He leaned down
and placed it under the one good leg of the vampire, raising it off
the floor about three inches.

He then picked his way through the
carnage out in the main room of the cellar, where he stepped over
heads, arms and assorted grisly remains of the melee. The eyes of
those severed heads focused on him, following his progress through
the room even as their mouths tried to speak. It was a brutally
macabre scene. He found the vampires foot by matching its boot to
the one still on the one in the other room. Skewering it with his
saber, he brought it to the vampire and jammed the ankle up against
his leg stump and held it there. He signaled to Marie to release
his one remaining arm. The vampire then grabbed the foot and held
it there himself, still moaning as it began to knit itself back to
his leg. “We can find your hand in here somewhere too, my friend.”
He stepped back and said “Who hired you to get those
girls?”

The vampire moaned and then said “It
was Pelleau. Why do you care about those orphans?”

“
Pelleau? Does he have a
first name?”

“
Jean. Jean-Claude
Pelleau.”

“
Where did he take
them?”

“
Pelleau didn’t say. He said
it was a rich man in Lyon.”

“
Where does this Pelleau
live?”

“
He owns the Pelleau
Blacksmith Shop. It’s on the road back to Paris, just inside the
city walls.”

“
Why did you take a girl
from this orphanage?” At this, Marie leaned forward.

“
We didn’t want to. Better
to just take one from the streets at night. Pelleau said they had
to be a certain age, between maybe ten and thirteen. He said we had
to fill the quota of five girls around four nights ago, or else he
would find someone else in the future. He had to deliver five.
Sometimes it is one or two, but in the spring and fall, it is
sometimes five he wants.” Marie strained and started forward, but
Henri held her firmly. “We got that last one from the orphanage
because Pelleau was in a hurry to send five to Lyon.”

Marie and Cosette had gasped upon
hearing this revelation of ongoing kidnappings. It was silent as
the five exchanged grim looks.

“
Who is this hanging
here?”

“
Someone who tried to stop
us from taking one of the street orphans.”

“
Where did you find
him?”

“
About two miles east of
Pelleau’s shop, across from a large church.”

“
Well, I don’t have any more
questions for this one, do any of you?

There was a chorus of “No.”

Li said “I have one. How does this
feel?” and with that he struck like a flash of lightning using a
two-handed blow, striking the vampire’s head off at his
shoulders.

The Rodriguez family had arrived in
Barcelona yesterday afternoon. They had met over supper and the
father had properly proclaimed the intentions of his son to Eduardo
Vasquez, the father of Alandra. They had wine to seal that part of
the formal declaration and acceptance on the sides of each of the
two families. The courtship of Alandra had officially begun as in
time-honored tradition. A ring of betrothal would be soon offered
in yet another formal dinner while they were yet visiting together.
There would be a token passage of time, perhaps three days to keep
the tradition of the heads of the two families having time to
consider the proposal. It was a formality, but one that would be
strictly adhered to.

Eduardo was very happy as was his
wife. They both liked Philippe’ and thought him to be a good match
for Alandra. They were a stunning couple. He was only four years
older than she and they could tell that she was not repelled by him
and was fond of him. Neither one would have ever forced her to
marry one whom she disliked.

Today the two would go to the
marketplace and bazaar, and that night there would be a formal
dance at the Vasquez villa. The couple set off, complete with their
chaperone and escort group. The lead carriage had Eduardo,
Philippe’s father, Celita, and Alandra’s little brother as
passengers. The second carriage contained Alandra, her mother,
Philippe’s mother and Philippe’. All were splendidly
dressed.

They arrived at the marketplace and
bazaar in style. Leaving their carriages to stand with drivers
waiting in a space reserved only for such people, they strolled
about through the area. The two fathers stopped to look at some
fine saddles and bridles. Philippe’ and Alandra took the lead, with
their two mothers following. The others were strung out behind the
procession. The two fathers talked business, politics, and trade,
while the two mothers talked dresses and weddings.

Near a lamp post stood three young
men. One was a bit taller than the other two, and quite handsome.
The tall man watched the group idly, his eyes passing over them to
other sights, but then as recognition dawned in his mind, his eyes
snapped back to the couple in the forefront of the group. He
focused his gaze on the woman in the lead. He clenched his jaw
muscles until his teeth ground together and his body became rigid
with rage. He began to walk somewhat parallel to the group. “You
two follow me, but stay well back.” he said.

They approached an area where flowers
were sold. There was a lovely man-made pond, set inside of a low
stone wall. Ducks paddled about in it and a flowering tree grew in
a manicured island in its center. There were benches all around for
sitting and trees for shade. Near to the man watching was an area
of flower vendors. He edged into that area, watching as the group
all stopped and chose seats. Then the young man accompanying
Alandra got up and said something to her. She inclined her head and
he turned, making his way to the area of the flower
sellers.

As he approached that area the man
watching started to move. He appeared to be moving casually but in
fact it was with a malicious purpose. The two older men with the
group followed behind the young man, obviously to buy their wives
flowers too. They were no more than forty feet behind the young
man. Philippe’ and the tall man converged, one unaware while the
other coldly executed his plan.

His eyes fixed on the finest
and largest bouquet he could see, Philippe’ walked a bit faster
towards it, for fear of someone else getting it first. He was
approaching a booth called
Geraldo’s
Flower Shop
when suddenly he felt his
shoulder bump against another person. Turning he saw a tall man
sprawled on his back. Philippe’ apologized, extending his hand to
help the tall man up, smiling apologetically.

“
How clumsy of me senor! My
apologies. Here, let me help you.”

The man lowered his voice and stepping
a bit closer as he rose and still looking down said “Son of a
whore, watch your step. Forget about flowers. You can send that
young whore over there on that bench to me tonight and I’ll satisfy
her!”

A wide area had begun to open at this
time, the two in the center of it. Just as the two fathers came
into this circle Philippe’ lashed out and struck the tall man in
his face, bloodying his nose. The man crashed down on his back as
the two fathers watched, stunned. The ladies had just gotten to the
scene and saw Philippe’ knock the man down. They were horrified.
Alandra’s face suddenly paled, as did Celitas’.

The man got up and dusted himself off,
his nose streaming blood. “I demand satisfaction,
senor.”

Philippe’ drew himself up and said
“You shall have it senor.”

“
Sabers then, right here, at
dawn tomorrow, senor!

“
Done Senor. Sabers at dawn
tomorrow, here.”

Eduardo’s face paled as he rushed in
to speak with the two, but turning to the tall man he said. “Senor,
please don’t be so hasty. This can be resolved in other ways. I’m
sure we can all sit down like the gentlemen we are and sort this
misunderstanding out without bloodshed or violence.”

Philippe’ said “With all due respect
Senor Vasquez, there will be no further talking. This will be
settled with honor tomorrow.”

“
Then I will be here senor.”
said the tall man.

“
Now senor, surely you don’t
mean to go through with this. Allow me to introduce myself. I am
Eduardo Vasquez, Ambassador for his Majesty to France.”

Wiping the blood from his face, the
tall man said “An honor, senor. I am Carlos Chavez.”

“
I know that name, senor. I
know a Chavez who is prosecutor for the crown.”

“
That is my father,
senor.”

“
Senor, surely we can settle
this amicably……”

Philippe’ said “We will settle this
with honor tomorrow, Senor Vasquez. There is no need to discuss
things with such a pig as this man.” Chavez smiled coldly, saying
nothing.

“
We saw the whole thing,
senor Vasquez.” said one of Chavez’ companions “We were standing
right here when this man knocked Senor Chavez to the ground and
struck him as he tried to get up. It must be settled on the field
of honor, senor.”

“
I will be there tomorrow at
dawn then, Senor.” With that, Philippe’ turned and walked towards
the ladies and said, “Let us be away from this place. The swine
have overrun it.”

Alandra advanced to Philippe’ and said
“No Philippe’, you mustn’t do this thing.”

“
My apologies, senorita
Vasquez, but indeed I must. His insult shall not be
forgotten.”

Turning to her father she said “Papa,
tell him. He mustn’t go through with this thing. He mustn’t, Papa.”
Eduardo turned to Philippe’s father and said “It would be best if
you leave tonight Senor Rodriguez. I can arrange a passage out of
here discreetly.”

“
I thank you for your
concern, Senor Vasquez, but that won’t be necessary. Philippe’ has
made up his mind on this. It is now a matter of honor.”

“
My father is right, Senor
Vasquez. It’s not necessary. Shall I run like a coward when I’ve
come to ask your daughters’ hand in marriage? That cannot be, with
all due respect!”

Stepping forward completely out of her
place, Alandra said “Is it honorable to die in a trap set by a
serpent? I know this villain and he is a serpent. He has done this
some way, I’m sure of it! I’m honored to have you for my betrothed,
Philippe’, and you don’t have to prove your worth to me. I’ve
already seen enough to know that I would be honored to be your
bride. I’ll marry you, without your participating in this duel.
We’ll come to Almeria. You and I can be married there on a date
which your father and mine will set. We’ll live there and I’ll do
my very best to make of myself the best wife you could ever hope
for. You have my word on it. Now dear Philippe’, do please turn
away from this duel, for our sakes!”

The two fathers were stunned, both
standing with their mouths agape. The two mothers were stunned.
Philippe’ was stunned. He stood there silent, but happy beyond his
wildest imagination. He had not seen Alandra display an ounce of
passion in their time together until now, but here he saw that her
depth of passion, commitment and love was boundless.

“
Senorita Alandra, you are a
woman worthy of any king who has ever lived. How can I ever hold my
head up again or look you in the eyes if I run from this thing? I
must meet that pig tomorrow. That is the end of it,
Senorita”