Forever Young The Beginning (34 page)

***

Ian leaped through the window and went
through the flames, jumping to the bottom of the staircase which
was now a solid mass of flames. His clothing and hair were aflame
as he tried to peer through the mass of flames. Searing pain
flashed throughout his body. He shouted as loud as he could
“COSETTE! COSETTE!”

Looking around he couldn’t see Cosette
or the little girl. Now burning and his skin peeling and
blistering, he heard a great groaning sound and he knew that the
house above was falling in. He leaped up through the solid mass of
flames and rocketed towards the window just as the house fell in on
itself with a mighty roar. Sparks and flames shot three hundred
feet into the night sky as the inferno got a gigantic gulp of fresh
air to raise it to new heights.

Marie, Henri, and Li had heard him cry
out for Cosette. To their astonishment they saw what looked like a
flaming meteor with two arms and two legs shoot from the broken
window. It cleared the veranda and landed far out on the lawn
turning and streaking west toward the creek in the woods. They
gathered up the four girls with Henri carrying two of them and
bounded away towards the creek themselves.

***

The sun was just coming up on the
eastern horizon of the Mediterranean where a scattering of cirrus
clouds had already become the color of molten copper. Seagulls and
Pelicans patrolled the shoreline, some on foot and some flying. Two
carriages with horses stood at opposite sides of the pond where the
ducks quacked and paddled merrily about their business. There was a
group of men gathered about each carriage. One man detached himself
and walked to the other group, indicating that the principal was
there and that his second had been chosen. Two men stepped out of
the group of four and walked to a place to the south of the
pond.

Two men detached themselves from the
other party of four and they walked to the south of the pond also.
The remaining four converged in the space between the two pairs.
They beckoned the pair to approach.

“
I am Ernesto Chavez. I am
selected to co-preside over this duel.”

“
I am Roberto Rodriquez. I
am selected to co-preside over this duel.”

There followed a very formal and
thorough airing of the grievance in time-honored tradition of
dueling in Spain. It culminated with the two combatants being
summoned.

The two combatants came to stand
facing the co-presiders. The two seconds followed, but stayed
around ten feet behind the combatants and to one side, also facing
the co-presiders. Following tradition the co presiders then spoke
directly to the opposing combatants.

Ernesto said “Senor Chavez, as
grievant, have you anything to offer that might preclude blood
being spilled here this day?

“
No.”

Roberto said “Senor Rodriguez, as
offender, have you anything to offer that might preclude blood
being spilled here this day?

“
No.”

There was a formal pronouncement of
why they were there, and then a ritual inspection of weapons and a
ritual recital of the rules of dueling.

Ernesto said “Gentlemen, do you
understand all of the rules of this duel and of the rule of
quarter?”

“
Yes.”

“
Yes.”

About then a horse came clattering
into the square and a woman scandalously dressed in pantaloons
swung gracefully from the saddle. Alandra walked to the group and
spoke directly to Ernesto Chavez saying “Senor, please stop this in
the name of justice.” Pointing to Carlos she said “This man devised
and executed this entire thing because when he met me, he could
tell that I didn’t like him. He was embarrassed in front of his
friends, two of whom are here.” she said, indicating the second and
the witness.

She continued “Senor Chavez is known
to be among the finest swordsmen in all of Spain and has killed two
men in duels, while Philippe’ has had only fundamental training
with a sword. This proceeding is no more than a ritual murder to
satisfy one persons’ revenge at losing a bet in front of his
friends.” At this last saying, she pointed to Carlos who flushed
deeply. She had been guessing, but knew she was right when she saw
Carlos’ reaction.

Ernesto, looking disturbed spoke,
saying “Carlos is this true?”

“
No, uncle. On my honor,
this man knocked me to the ground, and then hit me as I was getting
up.”

“
Your honor? You have no
idea what honor is Senor Chavez, no idea at all! You’ve lied to get
these good men here to help you satisfy your blood lust. You Senor
Carlos Chavez are a murderer and a lying serpent!” She turned to
Roberto, the father of Phillipe’ and said “Don’t go through with
this thing, or you are a fool.” Roberto’s mouth dropped open at the
audacity of her statement.

Ernesto spoke. “We’ve heard several
witnesses here and now are we to stop this proceeding based on what
one girl says? Senorita, you will stand clear now or we’ll be
forced to take you to the side.” He beckoned to Carlos’ second and
witness who stepped forward and took Alandra’s arms and drew her
back from the group. They took her to the pond and told her to
stand there, or to leave. She stood ramrod straight and shouted
“You are a murderer, Carlos Chavez, and the rest of you are fools
and accomplices! There is no honor in murder!”

The two co presiders and others
stepped back from the combatants. In a low voice while looking down
Carlos said “So Philippe’, you got your whore to come here to save
your worthless skin?”

Philippe’ turned red with rage and
shouted “No quarter you bastard! No quarter!”

Carlos looked towards the two co
presiders. Ernesto said “There is a call for no quarter from the
offender. Does the offended party agree?”

“
Yes. No
quarter.”

“
Very well then; let this
matter now be concluded in honor. Begin!”

Philippe’ stepped forward quickly and
launched a strong attack. Carlos parried brilliantly and retreated
slightly and circled to the east a bit. Then he counter attacked
quickly and skillfully driving Philippe’ back some ten paces,
ending with a cut on Philippe’s sword arm. Philippe’ ignored it and
made another strong attack. Carlos again defended and parried
skillfully, and again as he retreated he circled to the east.
Slowly the sun rose and just as slowly Philippe’ began to have to
look towards the sun as he fought. Another cut was opened high up
on his arm.

There followed a skillful back and
forth display of alternating attacks. Both men were breathing
harder now and sweating. Again Carlos launched a blistering attack
and again Philippe’ retreated but parried valiantly and midway
reversed it by going on a full scale attack with everything he had.
Carlos retreated, parrying each thrust skillfully and circling
again towards the east. Philippe’ was now definitely looking
towards the rising sun as he tried to attack or to defend. Again
Carlos attacked in a blinding display of skill, angling to the
southwest as he did. He skillfully directed his attack so that
Philippe’ was moved in a direction so that he was facing the sun
even more. Philippe’ valiantly fought back and rallied, forcing
Carlos back, but never able to reverse the effects of now facing
nearly due east towards the sunrise. Carlos always retreated to the
east to try to keep his opponent facing the sun.

Back and forth it went, until
Philippe’ began to falter somewhat in his counter attacks. By now
he was bleeding from five wounds and panting heavily. He attempted
to modify his movements to conserve energy. But Carlos attacked
relentlessly and bored in all the harder and faster until suddenly
he struck a particularly hard slash to Philippe’s mid-section.
Philippe’ dropped his guard for a split second to grab his side and
Carlos lunged back from a retreat into a full scale attack, the sun
now at his back. In seconds he thrust his blade through Philippe’s
stomach just below the ribs, so that it protruded out of his back.
Carlos held it there as Philippe’ began to sag and dropped his
sword. Then Carlos ripped his weapon free and stood back. He knew
that it had pierced the liver because the blood was an extremely
dark color. Turning he walked towards his carriage, his second and
witness joining him and congratulating him.

Ernesto and Roberto faced each other.
Roberto spoke weakly, the tears streaming down his face. “Honor has
been found here today senor.” He removed his hat and gave the
traditional bow to Ernesto.

About then Alandra shouted “Honor?
Honor? Folly and murder are what has been found here today. You are
all murderers and fools!”

The two men looked at Alandra in
astonishment. Then Ernesto repeated the traditional words “Honor
has been found here this day, senor. And then he too bowed to
Roberto. Before he departed, Ernesto said “You have my deepest
sympathies, Senor Rodriguez. It is a hard thing you’ve seen this
day.”

Each turned away from the other, and
then Roberto ran to his son. Alandra was there already sobbing and
cradling Philippe’s head in her lap as he lay dying. His eyes
remained fixed on hers as he said. “I love you Alandra. I’ll love
you for all eternity. You’ve made me die a happy man this
day.”

Alandra said “Oh Philippe’, I love you
and will never forget your love.” She wept and cradled his head to
her bosom, kissing his lips and rocking gently to and fro. Roberto
wept freely, on his knees beside them, holding his son’s two
hands.

The other party’s carriage departed,
the horses hooves clattering on the tiles. The seagulls cried
raucously as the wind sighed through the leaves of the trees all
around the beautiful square. The waves crashed against the
breakwater in their endless rhythm. The sounds of ringing steel had
been replaced by the sound of grieving mingled with the timeless
sounds of the seashore itself.

Ian lay in the creek naked, under the
water. Marie, Li, and Henri approached with the four girls.
Although wounded in four places herself, Marie took them aside some
two hundred feet away upstream, not willing for them to witness any
more than they’d seen already. Hearing them arrive Ian sat up in
the midst of the creek. Li and Henri looked at him aghast, and
Henri even drew in a sharp breath.

Ian’s hair, beard, and eyebrows had
been burnt off. His face and body were a mass of black charred and
red blistered skin. Tears of pain streamed from his glowing eyes.
He said “Go. Cut them off. The carriages have only just departed.
Split up on the main road and each of you go one way. Anyone you
intercept leaving this area is guilty of being a part of this
abomination. I say kill them all! Go now, or else Cosette died in
vain!”

“
Ian, you’re
hurt…”

“
Marie can look after me. Go
now and get those bastards! Go now!”

Li and Henri both gave Ian their
flasks. They had to hold them to his lips because his charred hands
couldn’t grip a flask. They stood and Henri went to Marie and spoke
briefly. Although suffering multiple wounds themselves, the two
bounded away. They split up on the main road and ran as fast as
they could, one toward Lyon and the other toward the Swiss
border.

Within an hour, Li was back at the
driveway to the chateau which was still burning. He drove the
carriage across the expansive lawn to a place under some trees that
couldn’t be seen from the driveway. After checking his prisoners’
bonds, he came to Ian, still lying in the creek.

“
I’ve brought four of them
back, Ian. Are you resting all right?”

Ian croaked “Good. I am…comfortable.
When Henri returns, you two can question them.”

“
I’m going to hunt the woods
hereabout. I won’t be gone too long.”

Ian nodded as Li took his rucksack and
vanished.

Shortly Henri returned, having
captured two men, bringing them back in their own coach and
concealing it with the other one. Marie held her flask to Ian’s
lips and he drained it. She went back to the children. As she
approached one of the four girls came to her and said “You are one
of the muddy angels.” Marie took her to her bosom and said, “Yes
little one.” The little girl said “The muddy angel who carried me
out smelled like Lilacs and had big pretty gray eyes that smiled at
me.” Marie choked back a sob and then while clinging to little
Chloe, she began to weep uncontrollably.

Henri said “I’m going to go to the
servants’ quarters out back to see if I can find some clothing for
all of us.” Ian nodded. He moved himself from the water and began
to pack mud all over his body.

Li returned and had filled both of his
flasks, holding them for Ian who drained both. Li vanished with his
empty flasks and Marie’s. After some twenty minutes, he returned
with all four flasks full. Ian nodded as they set them beside
him.

Marie silently joined the group and
they took up the question of what to do with the men they had
captured. Li said that they should all be questioned and then
killed and their bodies carried off into the deep woods. Henri and
Marie looked at each other and nodded. Marie said “A vampire got
away. Cosette cut his arm off first though.”

Ian spoke then, saying “Two got away
from me. I cut one’s foot off and the other was a female with red
hair and green eyes.