by Nike Azoros
Nikos had placed the bait well, in a place of good visibility and the hat was stuffed underneath with rags so it looked like a plump and juicy treat. With Manoussos maneuvering the strings it looked as if it was a hare having a lazy graze on the grass. It was only a matter of seconds before the great raptor saw the bait. Both men saw the very moment the eagle spotted the bait and they both reached for the net at the same time. She tilted forward slightly and formed into a great droplet, like the sky was shedding a tear.
From the ground the men could hear a sound like a great gust of wind getting louder and louder as the bird plummeted to the ground in a controlled and targeted trajectory. Just before she reached the ground she pulled up and extended out her feet to expose her talons which were spread out as deadly daggers ready to pierce the flesh of the bait.
Nikos could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Manoussos did the sign of the cross and both men tried to steady their breathing like athletes before sprinting out at the start of a race. She was about to impale the bait upon her claws when the men struck. They had each taken two corners of the net and then sprung forth to throw the net over her the minute they had seen her approach the ground. In her surprise at the unexpected event the split second before the net covered her she had let go of the bait and Nikos’s adrenalin charged reflexes allowed him to slip his hand under the net and retrieve it. He had remembered something that Alikhan had once said, ‘Keep your eagle confused in the first few days. Keep her in the dark so that when you come to her with food she will come to you like a love starved woman.’
‘How did you manage that?’ asked an impressed Manoussos as he looked at the hat in Nikos’s hands. ‘I don’t know!’ He laughed in relief, ‘But for now we need to wait for a while until our Artemis calms down.’ She was flapping her great wings and they had so much power in them the men were fearful she would take off and take the net with her.
They stopped speaking so as to focus on their work. In well rehearsed movements they reached for the large, heavy stones they had at the ready and placed the stones all around the edges of the net to weight it down. This gave Artemis less room to struggle and would also cause her to tire more quickly. Once the net was secure and Artemis was clearly weary, they threw the heavy cloth over the net and worked just as quickly to place several stones around that too, leaving just enough gaps to allow a little air in, but no light.
They stood back to observe their work. Their eagle trap looked like a little burial mound. Manoussos looked at Nikos then raised one eyebrow. Nikos answered his silent question. ‘She will stay there for as long as it takes. We have to get her to calm down enough first to be able to put the little hood on her.’ Manoussos winced. He had seen the size of her claws and beak.
‘She is a big girl Nikos.’
‘She sure is.’ But he had not taken his gaze off the mound before them. She had stopped struggling quickly which gave him a good indication of the quality of the hunter they had caught. Just as in her natural realm and now in her captivity, she did not waste her movements. There were no energy expending useless gesticulations, Nikos sensed she was saving her strength in order to adjust to the new conditions enforced upon her and then access it again to use in maximum efficiency for an escape, exactly as he would. It was for that reason he did not attempt to lift the cloth and try to put the hood onto her just yet. She would use her reserved energy and rip him to shreds. No, now was not the time.
Night fell and Manoussos again patted his friend on the shoulder to declare he was leaving to go to his church to prepare for Esperinos. ‘Why are you going? Stay here to keep me company. You know there will be no-one there.’
‘We both have work to do. You stay here and build the trust of your Artemis and I must build trust too. They will come eventually. They will come.’
‘Not tonight they won’t. Stay here with me and watch over Artemis.’ But Father Manoussos was already walking away. Nikos made sure Artemis had just enough air and then settled down for the night all the while speaking to Artemis in soft tones throughout the night as if she were a lover. Manoussos was right, it had to be just him and her. She had to learn his voice, she had to learn to come to him, and she had to learn to trust him.
Manoussos walked towards his church. The first time he walked to it he had to ask directions from Ariadne. ‘I will take you there Father but it will not be of much use to you. It is barely standing and even if it was in good condition no one will attend. None of the residents of Spinalonga believe any more.’
‘Then I am truly needed here.’
She led him to a small building so utterly ruined it looked more like a bomb site than a church. ‘It’s a real mess isn’t it father?’ Manoussos smiled, ‘It is a miracle considering when it was last used, it must have been before the Turks got here for sure. We are looking at many years of neglect my child.’
‘Well it looks like it too.’ Ariadne said as she began to limp away but out of the corner of his eye he caught that she had turned around, hesitated then quickly did the sign of the cross. Manoussos smiled widely at the confirmation of something he already knew. Rituals gave people comfort and a sense of belonging to their past and a foundation on which to build their future.
Manoussos struggled to get the door open even though he was well aware he could simply step through one of the gaping holes in the walls. He pushed at it hard with his shoulder until the door wrenched open and he burst through, almost toppling over. The fresh sea air swarming into the space clashed with the dormant dust and caused it to churn up in waves. Through the haze Manoussos could see the ceiling had partly caved in and over time the elements had taken their toll. He entered, initially blinded by the swirl, and walked in to the middle of the church to take a good look around. Through the haze he saw the ikons were so badly weather damaged they had become no more than dark smudges.
The dust began to clear and Manoussos noticed a patch of color glowing through the dust particles. He knew immediately from its location at the entrance to the Nave that it was the ikon of the patron saint of the church. He went to stand before it and fell to his knees to give praise to God. The ikon was pristine. It was as if were freshly painted. In the Greek Orthodox Church such an event is classed as a miracle. Manoussos gave worship to Saint Panteleimon, the doctor and healer, kissing his hands and asking for the love and courage required to heal the broken souls of Spinalonga.
Pavlos and Ikaros swayed in the doorway,
‘Hey priest did you get given the funeral service too?’
‘Kali mera. No I am healthy, thank God. I am here to serve you. Please tell the others there will be service tomorrow.’
‘Are you sure you’re healthy priest? Take a look around you, the church is about to fall down.’
But they did leave to tell everyone. They did not tell them not to attend service but to come and scorn the priest. Manoussos did not allow the absolute squalor of the church to dismay him. Nor did he fret over the condition of the little house near the church he had decided to make his rectory. The thing that was eating at him was the sheer bitterness in the eyes of the people. The rejection of them by church and state had scarred them deeply. Getting them to come back to church would not be easy but he would do whatever it would take to make it happen. He would give his first service with the church as it was. He had to show that he was determined. The dust and debris were not the obstacles.
One thing that pleased him greatly was that the bell was still in the bell tower, and it worked! At 7.30am the next morning he rang the bell to tell the world of Spinalonga that church service was commencing.
And people came.
Manoussos was so overjoyed when he saw the little crowd gathered outside the church that he had to hide in the sanctuary for a few seconds while he did a little jump. He gave thanks to God and commenced the service with confidence. After ten or fifteen minutes of spirited recital and chanting Manoussos saw that no one had come in yet they were all still gathered outside. He took a deep breath
and continued. When he began to recite the prayers the crowd outside drowned out his words with moans and groans terrifying enough to raise the dead.
He stopped. They stopped. He started again louder and more determined than before but the wails and moans became so loud and woeful he thought he was in the underworld itself. Manoussos continued the vocal battle right through until the time came to offer communion. He stood there with the sacred vessels in his hands waiting for anyone to come forward. He watched the door in the hope that someone might walk in, he even tried willing them to come in but only heard more moans and groans.
Just as well, he thought to himself. He’d had the suspicion that no one would attend so he hadn’t poured any wine into the communion cup. Why waste the precious Commanderia Father Stavros had given him as a farewell gift. He stood there a little longer in the welcome silence then went back into the sanctuary. He had to complete the communion ritual. He had offered the blood of Christ now he had to offer the flesh. He blessed the loaf of bread he had kneaded himself and baked in a pit he had dug in the hard ground behind his new residence. It had taken him five hours to dig a pit twenty five centimeters deep using the lid of a saucepan. It took a further hour to get the stones with which he lined the pit to become white hot and then he baked the bread in its pan within the pit. All throughout the process he had an audience and he knew it but never showed it. He had pretended not to notice the nosy onlookers peering over the walls. He knew he had to make an impression for being determined and meticulous.
He began to cut his specially baked loaf of bread in the traditional way a priest must. He had already first cut out the centre, the lamb, and then cut the sections devoted to the Panayia and the angels then cut up the rest of the loaf into bite size cubes and placed them in the basket. The minute he placed the basket in its place before the Royal Gate the onlookers rushed into the church screeching like the Furies, grabbed as many pieces of bread as they could then rushed out again leaving the basket spinning on the ground like a tossed coin slowly coming to rest.
Father Manoussos picked up the twirling basket and reflected to himself on his first service, ‘Well, that went quite well!’
For the second service of Father Manoussos of Saint Panteleimon of Spinalonga the only attendants were the damp smudged ikons on the walls. There would have been some rats but whenever they were seen they were caught. Nikos had caught as many as possible to offer Artemis as rewards and Pavlos would also catch them then trade them, mostly to the women, for sex. One lady had found a way to grill them over hot stones and then serve them on a bed of thistles. They tasted almost as good as the quails the tavernas served on feast days.
This silence of this service was much more eerie. At least the first time there was an interaction of sorts, macabre as it was. Today the silence was louder than the moans and groans of the hecklers. Manoussos went through the entire service with as much passion as if he was being scrutinized by the Patriarch himself but nobody came, not even for the free bread. Manoussos completed the service and went to leave to see Nikos but Pavlos was waiting outside the church with his band of followers.
‘How was service Father?’ he taunted.
Manoussos smiled at the group,
‘Thank you for asking my child, it was very good practice for me for next week when you will attend.’ Pavlos rested his arm across the doorway but it also pinned Manoussos to the spot, ‘So tell me Father is it still the custom for the priest to offer the communion wine to all from the communion cup?’
‘Of course’
‘And is it still the custom to use one gold spoon to offer it to the entire congregation?’
‘Yes,’ said Manoussos warily.
Pavlos’s voice became very low and very calm, ‘And is it still the custom for the priest to drink the remainder of the wine in the cup after communion is over?’
‘Yes,’ Manoussos tried to say it with confidence but he could barely get it out in a whisper. Pavlos was enjoying tyrannizing the priest. He was what he was, a torturer.’
‘I tell you what Father, I will attend next week, we all will. I’ll see to it,’ he turned to face his retinue menacingly, ‘and we will all take communion.’ He leaned right in close to the slight priest who stayed as serene as a saint in martyrdom. Pavlos leaned in even closer till Manoussos could smell his foul breath, ‘And then we will stand back and wait for you to drink all of the leftover wine in the communion cup.’
Manoussos did not as much as blink. Pavlos was unnerved by the priest’s ability to be unnerved but was even more unsettled when one of his gang, Makis, risked the ire of Pavlos in a deep but conscious need that all mankind has to assert his own self worth.
‘Father, if you drink all the wine we will not only keep coming but we might even consider helping you rebuild this church.’ Ikaros couldn’t help himself, emboldened by the courage of his friend, ‘I was a very good stonemason once Father, I can fix these walls.’
‘And I can paint,’ yelled another. Pavlos clipped them both around the ears and dragged them away and the others followed. Pavlos was swearing at them all the way. Things had not gone to plan. His plan had been to intimidate but the little priest with his simple ways had foiled him without even trying and in doing so had inspired action in the others. Pavlos did not turn around to look at Manoussos. He did not need to look at him to know that the look of concern on the priest’s face had been replaced by a big broad smile.
Chapter 9: Flying Fish
For ten days and nights straight in a row Nikos sat by Artemis. ‘You must appear in the square Nikos, people are questioning your absence.’ Manoussos was right, the people had been enjoying and expecting more of the street philosophy. ‘Tell them I am sick, keep everyone away. Tell them I have the flu. Lepers shun illness, they already have enough.’
It worked for a few days but the people were asking again and offering to stop by with scraps of food to aid his recovery so twice he made brief appearances just to keep things appear as normal, then he returned to Artemis.
Twice a day Manoussos came to hand over mice or lizards for Artemis and to bring some food to Nikos. ‘It must be difficult for you my friend. You have so much work to do of your own and how are you managing Maria’s questions about my absence?’ Manoussos paused just enough for Nikos to notice the cloud of concern that crossed Manoussos’ face. ‘What is it Manoussos? What is wrong with Maria?’
‘She has fallen ill, her disease is progressing. She does ask about you and I tell her you are ill too and that when you are both feeling stronger you will see each other again but for now you both need your rest.’
Nikos busied himself chopping up the lizards and mice into chunks. Keeping busy not only got things done but helped overcome things he could do nothing about right now, like Maria’s health. He had to work even faster to get a food supply going, which was the way he could best help Maria. Nikos had been speaking to Artemis almost constantly since her capture. He fed her the chopped up bits of reptile and vermin by lifting up the blanket just a touch and slipping the pieces of meat through the spaces in the net. He would fumble with the little hood in his pocket wondering every minute how he was going to place it on the head of Artemis.
Nikos had the perfect eyrie prepared for her. It was ready and waiting for her when, or if, he ever tamed her. He had moved to the furthest house of all and it had a wall of rock behind it forming a natural courtyard. There was a dead tree in it, a perfect place for a perch for an eagle. But he first had to get her there. Nikos had also constructed a perch for her on the top of Spinalonga as well. It was a hardy tree branch with plenty of space for her to spread out her wings. There were natural rock shelter forms up there too, almost like caves. It was up there in the cave like shelter that Nikos slept and sat with Artemis.
Nikos sat holding the little hood ‘Maybe it’s time to try now,’ Nikos lifted the blanket slightly to see if there would be any resistance from Artemis. Not so much as a quiver came from her. Manoussos held the blanket
up so Nikos could be kneeling at the ready. Nikos tried to sneak a peek at her but could not see much in the darkness. He stood up to put on the thick leather falconry glove of Alikhan but found he was unable to use his hands freely to place the tiny hood on her.
‘I want to take a look at her Manoussos, lift the blanket a little bit more.’ She was revealed, sitting there like an outraged goddess kept from her palace, but dignified and solemn. He went to lift the net slowly and had enough of it lifted to be able to reach in to try to touch her.
She struck. Just one of her talons gashed Nikos through his trousers. The pain seared through him like a flame as he screamed. Manoussos dropped the blanket to re-cover Artemis and he ran to Nikos with his arms open wide not knowing what to do. Nikos screamed at him, ‘Don’t just stand there, piss on it!’
‘What! No way, I cannot do such a thing.’
‘Oh in the name of God will you just whip out your dick and piss on it. Do you want me to die of an infection? Or do you have another antiseptic lying around?’ Manoussos looked around him to check no one was looking but Nikos could have cared less if he were in the middle of the town square, his pain was excruciating. ‘Hurry up!’ Manoussos started fumbling around under his rassos and stood there trying to urinate.
‘I don’t think I can. Maybe if you turn away’
Nikos let out a roar that would have raised the dead which was the impetus Manoussos needed to release his stream onto the bleeding ankle of Nikos. Both men sighed in relief then both men fell to the ground laughing like they had never laughed before.
‘Can you imagine if anyone had seen us, what would that have looked like?’ They laughed even harder till Nikos stood back up again, ‘I think that was Artemis telling us she needs a little more time.’ He picked up a rock and began scanning the ground. Manoussos understood what he was doing, ‘Just make sure to catch one for Ikaros too. He has been doing all my catching for me. I told him you are sick and need the nourishment. ‘
