Candlemas Eve

by Sackett, Jeffrey

  "Wasn't that what Gilmore said?"

  "Huh?" Simon walked out of the room and Siegal followed him.

  "Gary Gilmore, the guy who was executed in Utah a few years ago. Weren't those his last words, 'Let's do it'?"

  "Funny, Markie, very funny," he said as he descended the stairs. "If this were a real wedding, you might even be making me nervous."

  Herricks, Strube, and Mahoney had heard them coming and were waiting at the bottom of the stairs. "Let's get this show on the road," Herricks said.

  "Yeah, right," Simon responded. "Okay, let me run through it for you again."

  "For Christ's sake, Simon, we know what to do!" Mahoney said. "It isn't all that hard, you know?"

  "I know, but I just want to make sure everybody knows what to do and when to do it, so listen up . . . ."

  Simon's band only half listened to him as he reviewed for them the procedure for the ceremony. Their boots made muted crunching sounds on the snow as they walked from the old inn to the barn, each of them nodding in turn as Simon made mention of some individual directions. When they entered the barn, Simon smiled. "Markie! Great job!"

  "Thanks," Siegal replied. "Should we light the candles?"

  "Maybe we should wait for the girls."

  "Yeah, but the cameramen have to get light readings. Remember, we can't treat this like a dress rehearsal. It's a one-shot deal, you know?"

  Simon nodded. "Of course. Are they all set, except for the light?"

  "Yeah," Siegal replied. "They got the sound level a while ago. They'll start rolling as soon as we give the word."

  "Great." He addressed the others. "Guys, everybody start lighting candles. Everybody got matches?" They all searched through their pockets and each found at least one book. A group of such inveterate devotees of tobacco and marijuana was never short on such things.

  They walked around the large, high-roofed barn without coordination, lighting candles randomly. After a few minutes the interior was illuminated by two hundred flickering flames which danced atop two hundred tall black candles. The wavering, trembling light reflected from the golden pentagram and the inverted cross, and seemed to shimmer upon the cobwebs. Simon looked-around and grinned. "Fantastic!" he muttered. "Fantastic!"

  "Looks goddamn stupid to me," Herricks muttered.

  "Shut up, will you, Larry" Siegal said. "It's atmospheric."

  "Yeah, I suppose," he said and lighted a cigarette on one of the candles. "I just wish we could spend our time making music and not doin' this shit."

  "You're making money," Strube said, "so stop bitching."

  "Come on, everybody, just shut up," Simon said. "Tom, why don't you go to the door and keep an eye out for the girls. We'll start rolling as soon as you see them coming from the inn."

  Mahoney walked to the door and peered out. "Well, then, start rolling. Here they come." He squinted against the glare of the sun upon the snow. "They got somebody with 'em."

  Simon ignored the last remark. "Okay, start filming. Everybody to the door. We’ll walk in one at a—"

  "We know, Simon, we know, we know!" Herricks spat. "Jesus!"

  They moved to the door. They stood in silence.

  The cameras began to roll.

  Tom Mahoney walked slowly forward and took his place to the right of the table which was serving as the altar. Carl Strube waited until Mahoney was at his appointed spot and then he too walked from the rear of the barn, coming to a halt to the left of the altar. Siegal and Herricks followed suit, the latter on the left, the former on the right.

  Simon Proctor then came forward, walking with exaggerated solemnity, his hands clasped upon his breast, his head bowed. He moved to a position directly in front of the altar and stood motionless. Then he turned toward what he knew was the clandestine side camera and spoke, striving to lower his already low bass voice, rolling his vowels and looking up from beneath his dark brows. "We gather here to celebrate and to worship. I shall this day wed Gwendolyn Jenkins according to ancient ritual. Satan shall bless our union and make fruitful her womb."

  He turned from the camera and stood in motionless silence, his eyes fixed upon the door at the other end of the barn. Come on, he thought, hurry up, hurry up. I know we can always edit the film so the time gaps are gotten rid of, but I want to get this over with. Hurry up, Gwen, will you?

  The barn door creaked open.

  Lucas Proctor and Karyn Johannson walked in. "Hiya, Dad," Lucas said easily. "Everything just about ready?"

  "Cut!" Simon shouted. "Lucas, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

  Lucas's face registered hurt confusion. "Comin' to the wedding, of course. What did you think I—"

  "Where's Gwendolyn? Where's Adrienne? And what the hell are you two doing here? I told you this was supposed to be just the seven of us."

  Lucas leaned forward and smiled. "Does that include the cameramen, Dad?" he whispered.

  "Shut up, Lucas! Goddamn it all! Where—"

  "Gwen's waiting outside. Adrienne had to get something. When she gets here, we can start."

  "What do you mean, 'we'?" Simon said. "I thought I told you that I wanted to make a big thing out of the number seven, all that numerology stuff! You two can't be here for this! It messes up the whole idea!"

  Karyn coughed. " 'Scuse me," she said. "Look, I didn't really want to come to this thing, y'know? But Adrienne said that Gwen wanted us both here. I mean, she's the one who planned the whole ceremony, right?"

  "No, she did not!" Simon exclaimed. "I worked out the whole ceremony myself."

  "Yeah?" Karyn grinned. "Well, you shoulda let Gwen in on it, 'cause she's got her own plans."

  "What the hell are you talking about?" Simon said. "I told her that I would arrange a ceremony, and all she had to do was repeat the words as I say them."

  "Yeah, right, I know, she told me," Karyn replied. "And what did she tell you?"

  "Well, she said that—" Simon paused. "Well, okay, she said that she had some things she wanted to do, and I said it would be okay, as long as—"

  "As long as she used your vows, right? Well, that's the way it's gonna be. Your vows, her ceremony."

  "Shit!" Simon muttered. "This screws up everything!" Shoulda had a rehearsal, he thought. But how could I have explained that to Gwen without telling her that I'm having it all filmed? "Shit!" he repeated.

  He heard Gwendolyn's voice from outside the door, faintly, as if she were still standing some distance from the barn. "Mary Warren approaches," she said. "Make ready within."

  Make ready within, Simon 'thought as he returned to his place in front of the altar. Well, if Gwendolyn ever does decide that she's somebody else, at least I won't have to listen to the ridiculous way she talks anymore!

  Why are you so annoyed at her? he asked himself. She hasn't done anything. She takes this ceremony seriously. She thinks she's marrying you. Let her do it her own way. What difference does it make?

  "None." he muttered softly and then said in a stage whisper, "Roll the cameras, fellows. Don't stop, no matter what happens." A soft whisper of assent reached him from the loft. It'll be okay, it'll be fine, he thought. So we don't do it my way. So what?

  The door swung open again and Gwendolyn Jenkins entered. She was wrapped in her black cloak and had pulled the hood tightly around her head. She took Karyn by the hand and whispered something into her ear. Karyn nodded and walked to the altar, discarding her coat before she reached it. She was, of course, not in costume. Simon struggled not to be annoyed.

  Adrienne Lupescu walked in through the still-open door, trailing a rope behind her. A moment later, Jeremy Sloan entered, the rope's end tied around his wrists. His face was blank and expressionless, and he walked somnambulistically behind Adrienne. She came to a stop and removed her cloak. She was dressed in the same flowing white gown which she had worn on stage during the past month, and her braided brown hair had been piled fetchingly upon her head. As she walked forward and stood of to the left of the altar, Jeremy followed, impe
lled by the rope and stood dumbly beside her, his empty eyes staring off into the distance.

  Lucas Proctor took his place beside Karyn. His father leaned toward him and whispered, "What the hell is he doing here? And what's wrong with him?"

  "Gwen hypnotized him," Lucas whispered in reply. "Adrienne says she wanted him to be here, and that was the only way to get him to come."

  "Okay, but why is he here?"

  Lucas shrugged. "Beats me. Adrienne says he has a role to play in the wedding ceremony."

  "Where's Rowena? Does she know about this?"

  "Are you kidding," Karyn laughed. "She'd pitch a fit if she knew he was here."

  "So where is she?"

  Karyn shrugged. "Last I saw of her she was talking to that mailman. You know, that guy you—"

  "Yeah, yeah, I know what a mailman is!" Simon snapped. "Damn! This gets more and more screwed up by the min—"

  He stopped speaking as Gwendolyn strode slowly forward. She unbuttoned her cloak, drew the hood back from her head, and dropped the garment to the floor. Simon's eyes were riveted upon her. Her wedding gown consisted entirely of black lace which hugged her voluptuous form from breasts to thighs and then parted, a long slit running up her left leg. The lace was in like manner tight about her upper arms to the elbow, then flowed down in long, loose sleeves which hung down nearly to her knees. Beneath the lace she was naked.

  Simon heard Strube whisper "Nice dress" and heard Mahoney giggle, but he ignored them. He could not take his eyes of her as she walked up to him. A silver chain girdled her waist, sloping seductively down about her right hip. The slope of the chain lent an exaggerated undulation to her gait as she walked. A smaller chain hung down from the larger one, and from the smaller chain was suspended what Simon thought at first glance was a cross. As Gwendolyn drew closer, he saw that it was a dagger.

  Gwendolyn's eyes were fixed upon Simon, and the half smile, half smirk upon her lips indicated that she had made the impression upon him which she had intended to make. She walked up to him and glided her arms up and around his neck, reaching upward and kissing him deeply. "My love," she whispered, "my love, my dear one."

  "You look beautiful," he whispered in reply, "absolutely beautiful!"

  She smiled her thanks for the compliment and then turned to the others present, keeping her hands still clasped behind Simon's neck. "The joining of man and woman is an expression of nature's most ancient and profound power. By bearing witness to our union, you partake in our joining and the power which it generates. Do you understand?" No one made reply, so she continued. "Lust is the essence of love. Lust is the essence of power. And lust is the primordial force which drives all life. You all shall partake of our union by each partaking of the flesh of the others."

  "Uh, Gwen," Mahoney said, forgetting the rolling cameras for a moment, "are we talking cannibalism here? Because if we are, you can count me out—"

  She laughed. "Cannibalism! Tosh, such nonsense! I talk of lust, physical lust. Simon and I shall fold our hands upon Karyn's belly, and shall say our vows, and then each of you in turn, beginning with my husband—" she looked at Simon and smiled, "my husband! 'Tis a lovely word! Each of you, beginning with my husband, shall take your pleasure with me. The field well furrowed needs must be generously sown." She allowed her arms to slide down from around Simon's neck. "And then each man must take unto himself another woman, that we may worship the lord of the flesh with a sacrament of the flesh."

  "Gwen, there's five guys and only three girls," Strube pointed out.

  "Unfortunate, but unimportant. Mary Warren can accommodate you all, even as I shall." Adrienne Lupescu's face betrayed no emotion at Gwendolyn's words, but she blanched and trembled slightly. Her face remained as impassive as Jeremy's. "Karyn's womb is bursting with new life, new flesh, and is thus a sealed chamber. But Mary's field will accept your ploughs."

  Might have to edit this out, Simon was thinking. The X-rating for the movie was one thing, but we want the concert video to get as much play as possible. No matter, no matter. What's left will be great.

  "Karyn," Gwendolyn said. "Stand before the altar, and bare your belly to us."

  Karyn glanced at Lucas, who was staring at Gwendolyn with a look combining apprehension and anticipation, and she sniffed. "Okay, but I ain't doin' no perverted stuff, you get me?"

  Gwendolyn smiled. "All you need do is stand still as we make our vows upon your womb."

  Karyn shrugged her unenthusiastic assent, and pulled her oversized tee shirt up to just below her breasts. Gwendolyn gently reached out and began to pull down the elastic waistband of the sweat pants which Karyn was wearing. "Hey!" she said, thrusting Gwendolyn's hand aside. "Cut that out!"

  Gwendolyn smiled at her, but her eyes were hard and showed neither patience nor kindness. "Permit me," she said, but it was a command, not a request. "Your belly must be exposed."

  "It is exposed!" Karyn insisted.

  "Fully exposed," Gwendolyn said evenly, and reached again for the waistband. Karyn flushed slightly, but did not resist as Gwendolyn pulled the sweatpants slightly downward. Karyn’s round and protuberant stomach seemed to hang outward from her body, framed by the bottom of the shirt and the top of the pants. Gwendolyn knelt down in front of her and held her hand out to Simon. "Kneel beside me, my love."

  Simon did as he was asked, and he whispered, "Gwen, the vows I worked up for us are—"

  "Dismiss them from your mind, Simon," she interrupted. "Repeat the words as I say them, even if you do not understand them. Remember that I am a servant of Satan, and know better than you how to call his blessing down upon our union."

  "Yeah, but—"

  "Shhh!" she commanded. "Place your hand upon her belly." He did so and she placed her hand atop his. She closed her eyes and her lips moved slightly as she prayed silently. Then she said, "In nomine Satani, introibo ad altare diaboli."

  "In nom—" Simon began. "What was that? Say it again, will you? I didn't—"

  "Shhh!" she said angrily. "Just be quiet, then." She closed her eyes again and began to chant, "Judica me, Satanas, et discerne causam mean de gente sancta. Ab homine sancto erue me. Emitte tenebram tuam et dolum tuam, ipsa me deduxerunt et adduxerunt in montem insanctum tuum, et in tabernacula tua."

  "Gwen," Simon whispered, "say it in English, say it in English. Everybody here has to understand what you're saying for this kind of ceremony to be valid." Everybody watching the film has to understand what you're saying, or else they'll get bored, he thought.

  "Very well," she said irritably. "But be quiet, Simon. Do not interrupt me further."

  "Okay, okay."

  She closed her eyes again and repeated her opening prayer in English. "In the name of Satan, I will go unto the altar of the Devil. Give judgment for me, Satan, and decide my cause against a holy people. Deliver me from holy men. Send forth thy darkness and thy deceit, for they have led me and brought me to thine unholy hill and thy dwelling place."

  Tom Mahoney leaned over to Mark Siegal and whispered, "Hey, that's the Roman Catholic Mass!"

  "You're kidding!" Siegal whispered back. "That can't be, Tommy. I'm not a Catholic, but I know you guys don't pray to the Devil!"

  "No, no," he whispered, the name of God has been replaced with Satan, holy changed to unholy and like that. But everything else—"

  "A Black Mass," Siegal said softly. "A real Black Mass! This is great! What a sequence! 1 don't think it's ever been done in a m—"

  "Shhh!" Adrienne Lupescu said.

  "Introibo ad altare Satani, ad diabolum qui 1aetfIcat corpus meum," Gwendolyn chanted. "I shall go to the altar of Satan, to the Devil, the joy of my flesh. Adjutorium nostrum in nornine Satani, qui regnat infernum et terram. Our help is in the name of Satan, who rules hell and earth. Ave Satanas, ave Satanas, ave Satanas. Hail Satan, hail Satan, hail Satan." Gwendolyn began to sway slowly back and forth, as if mesmerized by her own chant.

  Larry Herricks turned to Carl Strube and said in a voice just slightly t
oo loud, "That is one fucked-up chick, man!"

  "Shhh," Strube said. "Don't screw up the fil—" He stopped himself before finishing the sentence.

  Gwendolyn continued to sway back and forth, but she opened her eyes and said, "Accept our devotion, father of lies, accept our worship, lord of the flies, accept our bodies, lord of the grave, thou who destroyest, thou who canst save. Bless thou our union, Master of hell, who makest wombs of all women to swell, whose rod is the fruit tree, whose seed is the rain, bless thou our union, master of pain." She glanced at Simon. "Repeat what I say, line by line." He nodded his assent, and she continued. "All that I am, I offer to thee, ave Satanas, ave Satanas."

  "All that I am, I offer to thee," Simon repeated, his hand flat against Karyn's round belly, "ave Satanas, ave Satanas."

  "All that I have, I offer to thee, ave Satanas, ave Satanas."

  "All that I have, I offer to thee, ave Satanas, ave Satanas."

  "Grant thou my prayer, thou Master of hell, ave Satanas, ave Satanas."

  "Grant thou my prayer, thou Master of hell, ave Satanas, ave Satanas."

  "Inflame thou my lusts, thou lord of the flies, ave Satanas, ave Satanas."

  'Inflame thou my lusts, thou lord of the flies, ave Satanas, ave Satanas."

  "Praise to thee, Lucifer, praise to thee, Lucifer."

  "Praise to thee, Lucifer, praise to thee, Lucifer."

  "Ave Satanas!"

  "Ave Satanas!"

  Gwendolyn looked down it the floor of the barn, as if addressing her prayer down at the bowels of the earth. "Joined we are, this man and I, here and forever, above and below."

  She waited for Simon to respond, and glanced at him urgently when he did not.

  "Oh—uh—joined we are, this woman and I, here and forever, above and below," he said.

  "On earth wilt thou aid us, in hell shall we serve."

  "On earth wilt thou aid us, in hell shall we serve."

  "An unholy covenant, he, you, and I."

  "An unholy covenant, she, you, and I."

  "Ave Satanas."

  "Ave Satanas."

  Gwendolyn rose to her feet and Simon did likewise. Karyn pulled her shirt down and her pants up and walked away from the altar without being bidden, obviously pleased that her role in this charade was at an end. She walked over to Lucas and whispered, "Baby, if she's for real like she says she is, she needs a —"