by Helen Fields
Fourteen
I'd checked out of my hotel by ten and returned to the motorcycle shop to take out a long term hire on the bike. I was going to need a way of getting around for the next six months and the bike was perfect in the balmy climate. The hotel was sending my cases by courier, arriving late afternoon. Daniel had emailed various documents which I'd already printed off, signed and sent back. By noon I was back on the road again and much more confident on the bike for a couple of days’ practise.
I finally found Sabina's ranch after trekking around a labyrinth of roads in the centre of Point Lobos State Reserve. On the outside the buildings looked old, blending in with the landscape over many years. Inside the ranch was modern and warm, with hardwood floors, bare oak beams, high ceilings and an open plan layout. Sabina wasn't there when I arrived so I was met by a housekeeper who showed me to a smaller building across the lawn. There was a two bedroomed guest house in the grounds that appeared to be mine for now. The bed had been made up and there was food in the fridge although I was invited to take evening meals with Sabina in the main house. My lounge had an open fire and the bathroom featured a huge picture window facing down into the valley below the gardens. You could lie in the bath and stare outside for miles with no-one overlooking you. There was a phone connection with an intercom button to the main house. I realised this must have been where Adela had lived. I hoped that the trees and mountains had made her feel at home rather than being a painful reminder of Slovakia. You could hear nothing but the birds and the wind, it really was idyllic. On the other side of the main house I'd seen stables and the cars in the drive suggested some staff were on site. I unpacked my bags which had already arrived and took a quick shower. Sabina wanted me at the theatre at five in the afternoon looking presentable for a press release, so I put on some white jeans and a tailored, denim shirt. On a whim I slipped the locket back over my head. Twenty minutes later I'd arrived in the centre of Carmel. As I pulled up I could see photographers setting up outside the front of the Golden Bough Theatre. Xander was waving to me from the side of the building. I slipped in through the stage door and he hugged me like a long lost pal.
'Hurry up, there's someone here to do your hair and make-up. Sabina always makes a huge fuss when we have a new member plus it's great publicity for the play. Always helps ticket sales if we've just had a splash in the papers.' He ushered me into a room where a woman was waiting with a variety of pots, brushes and sprays. Xander kept me entertained while I was pushed and pulled around. Fifteen minutes later my eyes looked larger, my hair was polished and my lips were pouty. There was a knock at the door and I was summoned to see Sabina. With no time to spare we were off to show the press an Eve MacKenzie I barely recognised as Sabina announced the cast for The Taming of the Shrew. I smiled and posed for the cameras. It gave me a chance to see something of the former Sabina Roman. She had a way of lifting her jaw and opening her eyes wide to catch the light. Next to her I felt like a fraud. The press loved the English girl image and asked a barrage of questions about home. I said as little as I could until Jake appeared and said time was up.
We stayed at the theatre and had our first full cast meeting. Scripts were handed round as were questionnaires about clothes and shoe sizes for the wardrobe department. For the next twelve weeks I'd be in a rehearsal hall trying to learn lines and figure out how I was going to pull this off. Xander was playing Grumio, the fool. I managed to avoid any difficult questions from the rest of the cast about my acting experience by asking endless details from all of them about Carmel, where they’d each trained and anything else I could think of.
Sabina was expecting me for supper and the last thing I wanted was to be late on my first night when she'd been so kind. I kissed Xander and waved goodbye to my new colleagues. Life felt exhilarating and in spite of my nerves I was excited to be starting out on rehearsals. Naomi had already emailed to insist that she and Tim would fly out for the opening night. Over dinner, I told Sabina all about life in England and she explained what to expect from rehearsals, translated a few technical terms I hadn't heard before and told me a little more about herself and Adela. Over their years together they had become much more like family than employer and employee. Sabina's pain on losing her was still very raw.
The next morning I found copies of numerous papers on my doorstep, courtesy of Sabina's housekeeper. They were the regional and local dailies for San Francisco and Carmel, carefully flagged with the publicity and photos from yesterday. I thought I looked like a rabbit caught in headlights but Sabina reassured me that it had all been a great public relations success. That day the first rehearsal was spent blocking. This was all new to me but we just went over entrances, exits and where I should stand during each scene. I could see Xander trying hard not to grin each time we caught one another's eye and it made the experience much less intimidating. Still, I’d reread the play the night before and was terrified by the amount there was to learn. Three months really didn't seem enough.
At lunch time Xander and I made our way down to Carmel beach to stroll and eat. We kicked off our shoes and walked bare foot along the sand, gossiping about the various cast members and what other productions they'd been in. I was busy tidying away my sandwich debris when I heard Xander shout out. He grabbed my arm and raised one foot off the floor. Blood gushing from a deep wound and I saw that he'd stepped on a broken bottle half buried in the sand. I took his weight and helped him sit to get a better look at the injury. I cleaned it with some salt water and found a nasty gash. The blood flow was serious and we’d have to stop the bleeding before he could walk back up the beach. I ripped off the shirt I was wearing over the top of a white tee and bound it tight around his foot.
'Wait here, I'm going to run back up the beach and find a first aid kit from one of the bars, I'll only be ten minutes,' Xander grabbed my arm and held me back. 'Are you kidding? This is the first day of rehearsals. Do you have any idea what Jake will do to me if I'm late back on the first day? Honey, I'd sooner lose another pint of blood.'
'Xander, that's crazy, you're injured. They'll understand.'
'No, you don't understand how hard it is for an actor to get a decent job. If I mess this up I’ll spend the next year doing school theatre and honestly I’d rather bleed to death right now than go back to all that. Now get me up and back there, you hear?'
I put his arm around my shoulders and we started to hobble over the sand but within ten meters the shirt was no longer doing its job and blood was flowing freely through the fabric. I didn't even have a mobile with me to call Sabina and let her know what had happened. I sat him down on the sand again and stared at his foot. I felt like an idiot for what I was about to do but it had to be worth a try, even if just to satisfy my own curiosity,
'You're going to think I'm completely nuts but just go with it, okay?'
'I have no idea what you're talking about but as we have only ten minutes to be back in rehearsals I don’t care what you do.'
I pulled off the makeshift bandage. Rolling my eyes to the sky and wondering just how deluded this was, I wrapped both my hands around the wound and focussed on Naomi, how I’d managed to make her better before. Xander looked as if he were either about to run away screaming or burst into hysterical laughter, I wasn't sure which. I let go and apologised.
'I'm sorry, I thought it was worth a go. I did say you'd think I was nuts. I need to run and get help, sorry but you'll have to be late this once.' I stood up and started to walk away, my hands covered with congealing blood and my face red with humiliation.
'Eve, wait.' I turned back to look at Xander. He was pale, shaking and staring at his foot. 'Just how the fuck did you do that?'
I sprinted back and threw myself at his foot. The wound had stopped bleeding and was scabbing over already. I pressed on it gently and it felt firmer than before, the depth of the cut obviously decreasing. I had no idea what to say to Xander so I opted for action rather than a debrief.
'Great, if you can walk we can just mak
e it back in time. Lean on me.' I hauled him up and luckily he was still in enough discomfort to stop him talking. It gave me a couple of minutes to consider what to tell him. I hadn't really believed it could work and I was still trying to understand the implications. As we arrived at the theatre I handed him back his shoe.
'Thanks', he said, not quite meeting my eyes. 'I'd better go and clean up.' He hopped into the men's room and I waited outside. I had to give him some sort of explanation before the rumours got out of hand. By the time he came back out he was wearing the shoe and barely limping. I went to talk to him but one of the theatre staff stopped me.
'Miss MacKenzie, there was a man here asking about you. He said he was a friend.'
'Did he give you his name?' I was waiting for Perun to show his face again although this wasn't really his style. On the other hand, I didn't know anyone else in California.
'No, I told him you were living at Miss Roman's ranch so he could get a message to you there.' She looked concerned that she might have done something wrong. I smiled to reassure her.
'What did he look like? Just so I can figure out who it was.'
She blushed ever so slightly and glanced down. Whoever it was had clearly made one hell of an impression. 'I'd say he was in his late thirties, maybe early forties, kinda hard to tell, easily six foot tall. He had the nicest green eyes with a deep voice and this little smile at the corner of his mouth. He seemed sort of old fashioned, too. He walked with his back real upright and this sway to his hips. Listen to me goin' on, I'm sorry, is he your boyfriend?'
'No, don't worry, he's not my boyfriend. Although he certainly sounds like one to watch out for!' I laughed as her face lit up.
'Well, I sure wouldn't kick him out of bed. Y’all have a good afternoon, now.' She disappeared into the offices and I turned back to Xander who was waiting for me.
'Xander, we need to talk.' I wasn't sure what I was going to say but I had to come up with something.
'You bet your sweet ass we do, but not right now. Come on, everybody's waiting for us.' I followed him in and spent the rest of the afternoon figuring out which side was stage left and stage right, then being measured up for costumes. I wondered who the man asking questions had been. Not Perun, for sure, the description wasn't even close. I guessed after all the publicity it could have been a journalist although they would have left a name or card. When the day finally ended, Xander grabbed my hand and told me to meet him in The Blues, a little cafe-bar up the street. I brushed my hair and threw on some fresh lipstick then left by the stage door. As I turned the corner I saw Perun waiting in the shade of a tree.
'You found me,' I said as I walked up to him.
'I never lost you,' he replied and I believed him. 'I just thought you needed some time to settle down and take it all in. And of course, you know about Adela now. Are you ready for some answers or do you want to carry on running away a little longer?' I didn't answer him because I didn't know what to say. I knew from my experience with Xander today that there was plenty left to find out. 'I'm not here to hurt you, Eve.' He pushed a strand of hair out of my eyes and I felt the familiar stirring of lust when he touched me. 'I know you're scared but you don't need to be. I'll see you tonight.' He brushed his lips against my temple in a parting gesture and left before I could argue with him, not that I would have. I’d been waiting for him to reappear.
When I reached The Blues, Xander had already got drinks and was sat waiting for me at a table in the corner where we wouldn't be disturbed. He wasn't going to be put off as easily as I'd hoped. Xander raised his glass to mine with a ceremonial clink.
'Here's to your first day as a professional actress. May fame and fortune be yours and may I always have you nearby in times of crisis. Now, spill it! That was the weirdest thing I ever saw.' He leaned forward, eyes shining with anticipation. I took a long, slow sip of beer.
'I don't know what to say, Xander. I have no idea how I did that.'
'So are you like a faith-healer or a white witch or something? How did you know to try it at all?'
'I'm not an anything and would you keep your voice down? Look, I've always been able to make people feel better when they've been ill although I've never tried it on a wound like that before. Maybe it's a sort of energy? Honestly, if I knew how I did it I'd tell you.' He was obviously disappointed by my lack of secret magical knowledge.
'Well, I don't care how you did it, you got me back there on time. And you did great today, by the way. I don't know how you came to be here but I'm sure glad you are. Just one thing, can you cure hangovers because I am going to the party of the year this weekend?' I laughed and thought how much less fun this would all be without him. 'Seriously, if you want to talk about it, I'm right here. Now I'm going home to learn my lines and I suggest you do the same. Read them out loud in front of the mirror; it'll help. Just before you go I wanted to show you this.'
He shook off his shoe and turned his foot over. Where the wound had been was the faintest red line, barely noticeable. He didn't say anything else, just slipped his shoe back on, winked at me and left. When he'd gone I examined my wrist where the burn had been. There was no mark at all and if anything my wrist was whiter and smoother than before. It was time to find Perun and get some answers.
When I got back to the ranch I was pleased to see Sabina riding into the front yard. On horseback she looked happier and younger than I'd seen her. A man helped her down, crutches at the ready, so that she could get into the house. He led the horse away and I went after her. The ride had tired Sabina out and she was planning on eating in her rooms. I can't say I was sad to have the evening to myself and I decided to have a walk around the rest of the ranch to get to know my surroundings better. To the east of the main house were the stable blocks. I could see at least eight horses as well as a store for feed and equipment. Beyond that were some tiny cottages providing staff accommodation for Sabina's nurse, housekeeper and ranch hands. She'd never married and had invested all her love and money into the ranch. It was a beautiful place, close enough to civilisation not to be isolated but far enough away to have a sense of peace and space. I spent some time with the horses. I'd never learned to ride but they were fabulous animals. I considered taking a longer walk but then remembered the amount of work I had to do on my lines. I went home, picked up the script and settled down on my veranda.
As I sat reciting passages out loud over and over again, the last rays of useful light were fading from the sky. I closed the book and put it down beside my chair. As I did so Perun walked up the steps towards me.
'You're later than I expected,' I said, not to let him have the advantage.
'Let's take a walk, the woods are at their best as the sun goes down.' He held out his hand to me and I took it with only the faintest unease. I saw no sign of ill-intent in his eyes. If he wanted to do me harm he'd have done it by now. We walked down the little pathway through the trees that led to a mountain trail. I hadn't thought to bring a flashlight but there was still a good hour of dusk before blackness. There was a half moon rising in the distance, shining pale yellow and intermittently hiding behind clouds. It wasn’t quite clear enough to see the stars. We climbed the trail for fifteen minutes or so then sat on some rocks overlooking the valley to see the lights of the ranch in the distance.
I settled back against a fallen tree, head tipped up to the sky. I had sat myself far enough from Perun that I wouldn’t be affected by his touch. It would be all too easy to be seduced by him but what I wanted tonight was his knowledge.
'I'm ready,' I said. 'You've made your point about belief. Now you need to give me something to believe in.’ He held out his hand to me. 'No.' I said. 'I don't want to touch you. When you do that I don't know what's real and what's not. You came to find me and I’m here, so tell me whatever it is that's so important.' I drew my knees up and crossed my arms defensively. Perun didn’t try to move any closer.
'Your mother needs you. Your true mother, not these humans who have failed so miserably
to help you realise your true potential.’
‘This is insanity. Talking about humans as if I were something other than that. You’re wasting my time, none of this is real.’
‘She is dying, Eve. I came to help you find your way to her before it is too late. We knew you wouldn't believe any of it unless you took this journey for yourself. After all you have been through, everything you know, how can you continue to deny the truth?'
'Just tell me about my mother. I don't want it to be too late. How do I get to see her?' I was willing to trust him to the ends of the earth if that's where my real mother was. I felt a longing like nothing I'd ever experienced before, the desperation to be in a place where I truly belonged. A sudden realisation hit me. 'I don't even know her name.'
'She is called Anousk. I can't be sure how much time she has left. We don't have illnesses in the way that humans suffer them, we simply reach a point where our time runs out and we move on. There is no way to slow it, no medicine. She has had a long and fulfilled life, except for the pain of losing you. Now she wants to hold you again before it's too late. It will mean sacrificing your life here as you know it, and you must come willingly or not at all. We have been waiting for you.'
'Who is we? There's so much I don't understand. Where can she be that I can't simply travel to see her now?' As I began to weep Perun opened his arms and I let him soothe me like a child.
'Your people are the Vilya. It is the same as this world, different cultures, races, all colours and creeds. We have laws and customs so that we live together peacefully. I've been sent as a messenger.'
'And what are you?'
'Humans have a crude term for us. They call us demons.' I looked up into his face to see if he was mocking me. 'It is no joke, but you have to understand that the meaning has changed. When humans first used the term “demon” it meant a state between human and god, a creature who had moved on from this life and become something more advanced. Folklore and so-called religions over centuries reduced the meaning to a creature of evil to scare people into belief and compliance. When religions needed a scapegoat to explain mental illness or unexpected pregnancies they terrified people with stories of demonic possession, making their followers more devout through fear. We were an easy target. And yet it's much more complicated than that. Like every culture, there is no black or white, only shades of grey. The power you used to heal your friend today works in many ways.' His voice had lulled me so when his hand flew out and came back holding a mouse, wildly scratching at his fingers to escape, I screamed involuntarily. 'Put your hand over mine,' he commanded, the once gentle voice now insistent.
