Authors: Thomas McDermott
“Oh my God! Leave me alone!” She wasn’t going to let any of them talk her into going back to that house. She climbed out of her bed in her favorite pajamas of sky blue cotton and threw back the curtains. She almost screamed when she saw a bloodied Madgalene knocking furiously at her window frame. She opened the heavy metal clast that kept the glass shut and watched as the injured bird hobbled into her room.
“Oh you poor thing!” She couldn’t help but feel sorry for Claire’s winged friend. Where was Claire? She looked down to the courtyard and saw no one. As far as she knew, these two were never apart. If you got Claire, you got the bird. They were inseperable. A sinking feeling began to descend on her. She tried to assess the damage to Magdalene but had no experience with birds. She almost fainted when she saw the gash across the breast bone. It was made by a claw. There was no doubt in her mind that the claw belonged to one of Celine’s science experiments. She dabbed a towel in water and tried to clean the wound. Magdalene was surprisingly cooperative and let Sasha do whatever she could. The bleeding had stopped but she didn’t like how long and wide the gash was. She grabbed some duct tape from her closet and cut it into tiny little strips and held the wound close as she created a criss cross pattern of the tape, pulling the wound to a close. Magdalene stood on Sasha’s coffee table after she had finished mending the bird and began to caw very distinctly. She cawed three times and then rested and then three more times and rested. It continued for a while and Sasha realized it was always in threes and that it must be some sort of distress call like the old S.O.S signal from long ago. Claire must have sent Magdalene to her but Sasha had no idea what to do other than to tend to the bird’s injuries when it occurred to her that the bird might be hungry and thirsty. She poured a box of cereal onto the coffee table not caring about the mess and filled a little white bowl with water. She left the bird to its meal and ran a bath and methodically began to wash herself. She couldn’t believe what she was about to do but she kenw that if she got involved she might never get out of this alive. She had made her choice and so had they. Of course she was thinking about Taylor but if she went back it would all happen all over again. One by one they would begin to die. She left her window open so Magdalene could leave when she saw fit. The tears were already falling down her face as she made her way down the soft oval stairs of her Parisian home for the last time. She stood outside the door not even noticing what a gorgeous day this was going to be. All she could think of was that it was probably already too late. They were probably dead by now and if she didn’t leave, she would be next. People walked by her and stopped to look at the pretty woman with suitcases who looked so sad. They all thought she must be sad because she was leaving Paris. Who wouldn’t be? The taxi came and the driver got out and threw her bags into the trunk. He confirmed her destination, Charles De Gaulle airport. She nodded in the affirmative unable to speak and got into the car. She was in a daze as the cab pulled away into the streaming traffic.
Frankie walked in through the back gate of the garden hoping to surprise Claire. He wanted to shock her with his tale of lusty adventures the previous night hoping to get some reaction out of the stone princess. He had always been this way with her and found endless pleasure in trying to make her react to something he said. It wasn’t easy. He walked lazily and turned right onto the path that led up to the hill. Something was right in front of him. Something that used to be alive but was now a bloody and mangled mess. It looked like the carcass of a deer as he caught sight of the hooves. He cautiously looked around and satisfied that he was alone, he began to move stealthily toward the house. Going from tree to tree he moved like a soldier in combat and was glad that his khaki pants and tan shirt kept him blended in with the scenery. And to think he almost wore his red silk shirt last night! He crept forward slowly until he could get a glimpse of the house. There was Celine having breakfast on the terrace as if she had been there all along. There was no sign of the others and Frankie could only imagine the worst. He backtracked his way down to the river again and slipped out the gate. His heart was pounding and he realized suddenly that he couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to Claire. Sure, he teased her mercilessly but that was his way of showing her affection. They had always maintained their brother and sister connection even to this day. He was very protective of her and she allowed him to goad her as she allowed nobody else. He was almost running when he thought that he had no idea were he was running to. He stopped for a moment and turned toward the Eifel tower. He had to find Sasha. She wasn’t in the house. She had already left before Celine had somehow managed to wake up from her poisoned beauty sleep and take control of the chateau. It wouldn’t be long before Celine came looking for them. He had to get to Sasha before that old witch did. He ran faster and faster mostly out of fear and worry. He couldn’t think of Claire as dead. There was nothing in the world that could prepare him for that. He was exceptionally fit and kept up his rapid pace realizing he could get there faster on foot at this time of day as the rush of cars began their onslaught on the city. He would be there soon enough. He only hoped he would not be too late.
Sasha watched the neighborhoods whizzing by and tried not to think. She had to protect the life inside of her but a part of her mind kept thinking of how she was going to tell her child that she let its father die. That she had left him when he needed her most. He would never do that to her.
“Arretez!” She yelled at the driver and made up some lie about forgetting her passport. They would have to go back. He started complaining when she threw a hundred euro at him. This quieted the man who spun the car around as if they were in an American car race and sped back to the seventh arrondisement. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she didn’t at least try to get Taylor out of all the madness. Now that she was carrying their child, she knew he would see things differently and would want to get them all as far away from this deadly circus as possible. Her cheeks flushed with shame at the thought of coming so close to abandoning them all. It was true that she wanted none of this but it was also true that thye had been through so much lifetime after lifetime. As much as she didn’t like it, she could not change it. For this first time since all of this happened Sasha began to accept and realize who she really was. She wiped the last tear from her eyes and began to focus on her breathing. Nyoirin always prepared herself for battle this way and there was a part of Sasha that belonged to the samurai woman from the seventeenth century who had died at her own hand. Nyoirin deserved a chance to have a happy life and Sasha was the only one who could give it to her. She concentrated on her breath even more now and let go of all her thoughts. The old strength and the old desire for a good fight began to claim her. Celine would be sorry she ever messed with her family.
“What do you mean she left?” Frankie was practically yelling at the kind hearted concierge who was saddened by Sasha’s sudden announcement that she had to go back to the States. The pesky American had grown on her over time and now she felt as if she had lost a friend.
“She said it was an emergency.” The old woman huffed while sweeping the dust from the street right onto Frankie’s loafers. “She had to go back because she is pregnant and there is some problem with the baby.” She stopped sweeping and wiped her wrinkled brow. “She said they had special doctors back home who could handle such things. I don’t know Monsieur. Please stop yelling.” She eyed him cautiously. “Who did you say you were?” Even though she was flustered the woman in the dingy blue dress that must have been thirty years old recognized how handsome and charming this man was. He was so upset that she began to suspect that he was the father of the child.
“Francois LeVoyer. I am an old friend of Miss White. Did she leave a number where she could be reached?” He looked so desperate. “Anything at all?” The woman was sure now that he must indeed be the father. That could be the only explanation as to why he was so worried.
“I’ve never seen you around here.” She huffed. “That’s a little odd for an ‘old friend’ don’t you think?” Her bushy eyebrow arched suspiciously.
“Frankie! Oh thank God!” Sasha ran up to him and threw her arms around him and held him to her tightly.
“Sasha! I thought you were gone!” Frankie looked like he was going to cry with relief.
“I did. I mean, I was going to but I just couldn’t. Magdalene came to me. She was very hurt and…” Sasha stopped what she was saying and turned to the woman who was listening intently to every word. She lived for gossip like this. It would give her something to tell her women friends with whom she played cards every Friday night. She leaned on her broom and watched to two of them as if she were watching television.
“We had better take this upstairs.” Sasha whispered and pulled Frankie along with her. “It’s alright Claudette. I am not leaving after all. How could one possibly leave Paris? I’m sure the doctors are even better here, I don’t know what I was thinking.” She smiled at the happy woman who thought she was witnessing the reunion of two young lovers. Nothing could have warmed her old heart more than this. Sasha smiled back at her as she circled her arm around Frankie’s waist. Claudette began sweeping the courtyard and was already planning on what kind of baby blanket she was going to knit the little baby.
Frankie and Sasha walked into her apartment together and saw that Magdalene was still there as if she knew that Sasha would return. Frankie saw the tape on the birds chest and looked at Sasha incredulously.
“Nice work doctor!” Even now he couldn’t stop himself from making jokes. It was who he was and for the once Sasha was glad of this quality. She would need it to get through the ordeal that lay ahead.
“I had to think of some way to close the wound. Unfortunately, I’ve never been a veterinarian in any of my incarnations.” Sasha sat down on the couch and took a good look at the black bird. She seemed to be doing well and Sasha just prayed that they would be able to save Claire as the thought of the bird without her partner was unfathomable. Frankie sat down next to her and looked at Sasha very seriously.
“She has control of the house and that means she has control of the waters.” He didn’t need to say who ‘she’ was. “That can only mean one thing.” His voice dropped to a mere whisper. Sasha shook her head violently.
“No. If Taylor were dead I would have felt it. I’m certain of that. We are connected. He’s alive, and if he’s alive I’m hoping that means the others are as well. Celine is probably holding them hostage to lure us in. It’s classic Celine.” Sasha kept trying to think of a plan but nothing was happening in the swirling thoughts and emotions that were her mind.
“Yeah, that does sound like her. She knows that we would come back only if there was a chance to save their lives. So what do we do? Wait for a ransome note?” He was trying his best to stay positive. He could not entertain the idea that Claire was lost.
“No.” Sasha said firmly and looked at him directly. “The time for waiting is over. We are going to ambush the bitch and take her by surprize. She’ll have no idea what hit her.” There was a new potency in Sasha’s voice and Frankie looked up at her in awe.
“Now you’re talking. I like the sound of that.” He tried to pet Magdalene who only squawked at him loudly and hopped around the table amidst the scattered pile of cereal that was now everywhere. It was then that he noticed the wounds were completely healed. Of course, the bird had been drinking the water all these years and had the same healing abilities that comes from hundreds of years of drinking it. He cautiously removed the tape from the strangely subdued Magdalene. “But we know what she is capable of. How are we going to fight Celine?”
“Oh you’re not going to fight Celine.” Sasha grabbed his trembling hands in her own. “I claim the right to that pleasure. You’re going to find out where the others are. I’ll be doing the fighting.” She looked like a warrior in this light with this new determination on her face. “Damn!” She exclaimed out of the blue.
“What’s wrong?” Framkie’s fragile spirit was beginning to drop.
“Oh nothing. I was just thinking how I just had my nails done and this is going to ruin my manicure for sure!” Sasha threw one of the couch pillows at him and he deflected it easily. He liked this new Sasha a lot better than the old one. She rummaged around her tiny apartment and threw a few things into her purse. She ran to her room to change clothes and came back in a tight pair of black pants and a black top to match. Her hair was pulled back in a severe ponytail at the back of her head. He stared at her and wondered if Taylor knew just how lucky he was.
“Come on Frankie. We’ve got some shopping to do.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him up off the tan and black sofa.
“Shopping? What are you up to Sasha? “ He wasn’t used to being ordered around by anyone, let alone a beautiful lady. “Where are we going to go shopping?”
“Chinatown.” Came the simple reply. “We can’t go to war without weapons, that would be suicide and this time we are going in well armed.” She pulled a wad of money out of her purse. “I’ve been saving this for a rainy day and it looks like the storm is about to hit.” Her face was all seriousness now and Frankie wondered at the complexities of this lovely creature who called herself Sasha White.
THE ART OF WAR
By now the sun was shining full in the sky and the warm air was wafting through the streets bringing out the good nature in the citizens of Paris. People were full of smiles and greeting each other with a hearty “Bon Jour!”. Sasha and Frankie took another cab to the thirteenth arrondisement on the Left Bank to Chinatown that arose in the late seventies and early eighties. Paris really had two Chinatowns, but Sasha knew this one would have all the things she needed. The streets and buildings were all a depressing gray and everything seemed to be made of concrete. It did not look like the Paris that Sasha and Frankie knew. They got out at the Place D’Italie and Sasha paid the driver. She fairly ran down the street past all the restaurants and turned a corner toward the Avenue de Choisy. They found a small store front filled with all sorts of Chinese goods. The ancient man in the store smiled at them and greeted them warmly. Sasha went to the rear of the store and a confused Frankie finally understood. There under the display cases were every sort of martial arts weapon imaginable. There were swords and sticks and metal things that he could not even begin to imagine what they were for. The old man followed them to the back of the shabby but neat store.