The Grand Illusion - Eightp
(Disclaimer: Characters from The Lost World belong respectively to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Telescene, et al. This is for entertainment purposes only. Any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used without permission.)p
The song was ending and Veronica had to admit that Challenger was a good dancer indeed, even if the conversation was rather one-sided. He had talked excitedly about the upcoming expediton and what he would do differently and so on and so on. He was trying to get her parents to go again and even said that she simply had to come as well. He was quite enthusiastic about the whole thing, even if from time to time a frown would cross his face as if he were remembering something. p
They parted and it was then that Veronica thought she spotted Ned in the crowd. She smiled, excused herself from Challenger and made her way to him. p
But as she came upon him she saw a woman in his arms and they were kissing!p
Her face paled and as she stood there, time seemed to stand still. p
Ned pulled away from Gladys, and as if he sensed Veronica, he turned. p
"Veronica!" he gasped, extricating himself from Glady's arms. p
Her eyes narrowed angrily at him and then she quickly fled from him, hating herself for even hoping. She should have known! She should have known!p
"Veronica, wait! I can explain!" Ned chased after her, ignoring the interested glances of the onlookers. p
Veronica suddenly stopped and said, "Like Kira? Goodbye Ned."
She stormed away into the crowd.p
"Veronica! Wait!" Ned tried to go after her again and suddenly stopped, knowing how futile it was. p
"I love you.." He said, hanging his head in shame. Damn, he knew what it looked like, and he could have stopped Gladys. p
"Ned.." Gladys caught up with him. p
He turned to face her. p
"Gladys, go back to Harry." p
"What?" She looked startled. p
"You love him. You don't love me. I can tell." p
"What - what do you mean, Ned? I came all this way and - " p
"I can tell, Gladys. I can tell by your kiss. I don't know what you're here for, but it isn't because you love me."p
She hung her head slightly and sighed. p
"You're - you're right, Ned. I - Harry and I fought. I was upset and I didn't know what to do. I couldn't - " p
"You couldn't swallow your pride and patch it up and so you came running to me." Ned placed his hands gently on Glady's arms. p
She nodded. p
"Gladys, once I would have been so happy if you had come back to me, but now - " He looked in the direction where Veronica had disappeared to.p
"Now things have changed." p
"You love her - that girl - don't you?" Gladys asked. p
"Yes, I do." Ned said this without hesitation.p
"Then I suppose it's for the best then." Gladys shrugged. p
"It is." Ned peered at that flawless face, framed by her auburn curls. Once he had loved that face dearly, now he only looked upon it with fondness.p
As he gazed at her, the hair seemed to move and weave, the strands turning like the coils of a snake. Ned watched fascinated. It was like seeing the Medusa come alive. They came out at him and he could hear the hiss sound they - it made.p
iThe priest released the snake upon the prone pale one and as it slithered up his bare chest, he chanted in their old ancient language. Oh, the ritual was long, but it was not often that they could sacrifice so many outlanders at once. Their young ones would not be sacrificed to the gods this season. The elders did not know how to cure the disease that seems to swell up the bellies of their people. They thought the gods frowned upon them now. Then these outlanders showed up in their odd coverings and weapons, caught by their traps. The elixir put them to sleep and soon they would join the gods in the Great Circle of All. They would be eternally happy to have aleved the sufferings of their people. br
Ned stirred, a frown on his face. Glady's hair..so odd..like Medusa..snakes..the plateau..Veronica..caught in the traps..br
The priest frowned. They were resistant, but they did not know better, not being knowledgable of the wisdoms of the gods. He opened Ned's mouth and poured the exlir in. Some of it dribbled out and - /ip
Ned found that he was not looking at Glady's hair at all, but drinking some punch. Now how did that get there? He shrugged, looked at Gladys again. Her hair looked as it always had. p
He smiled fondly at her. p
"If you will excuse me, Gladys." p
"Of course, Ned.." she said softly. "Please forgive me.." p
"There's nothing to forgive, Gladys." Ned's eyes were serious. p
"You always were sweet, Neddy.." Gladys smiled. "I only hope Harry does - forgive me, that is."p
"He will, I'm sure.." Ned shifted on his feet, anxious to find Veronica.p
"Goodbye.." Gladys backed away and Ned watched as she disappeared into the crowd. p
Lost in memory for a moment, Ned resolutely turned in the direction where Veronica went off to. He wasn't about to let her get away without a fight.p
(Disclaimer: Characters from The Lost World belong respectively to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Telescene, et al. This is for entertainment purposes only. Any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used without permission.)p
The song was ending and Veronica had to admit that Challenger was a good dancer indeed, even if the conversation was rather one-sided. He had talked excitedly about the upcoming expediton and what he would do differently and so on and so on. He was trying to get her parents to go again and even said that she simply had to come as well. He was quite enthusiastic about the whole thing, even if from time to time a frown would cross his face as if he were remembering something. p
They parted and it was then that Veronica thought she spotted Ned in the crowd. She smiled, excused herself from Challenger and made her way to him. p
But as she came upon him she saw a woman in his arms and they were kissing!p
Her face paled and as she stood there, time seemed to stand still. p
Ned pulled away from Gladys, and as if he sensed Veronica, he turned. p
"Veronica!" he gasped, extricating himself from Glady's arms. p
Her eyes narrowed angrily at him and then she quickly fled from him, hating herself for even hoping. She should have known! She should have known!p
"Veronica, wait! I can explain!" Ned chased after her, ignoring the interested glances of the onlookers. p
Veronica suddenly stopped and said, "Like Kira? Goodbye Ned."
She stormed away into the crowd.p
"Veronica! Wait!" Ned tried to go after her again and suddenly stopped, knowing how futile it was. p
"I love you.." He said, hanging his head in shame. Damn, he knew what it looked like, and he could have stopped Gladys. p
"Ned.." Gladys caught up with him. p
He turned to face her. p
"Gladys, go back to Harry." p
"What?" She looked startled. p
"You love him. You don't love me. I can tell." p
"What - what do you mean, Ned? I came all this way and - " p
"I can tell, Gladys. I can tell by your kiss. I don't know what you're here for, but it isn't because you love me."p
She hung her head slightly and sighed. p
"You're - you're right, Ned. I - Harry and I fought. I was upset and I didn't know what to do. I couldn't - " p
"You couldn't swallow your pride and patch it up and so you came running to me." Ned placed his hands gently on Glady's arms. p
She nodded. p
"Gladys, once I would have been so happy if you had come back to me, but now - " He looked in the direction where Veronica had disappeared to.p
"Now things have changed." p
"You love her - that girl - don't you?" Gladys asked. p
"Yes, I do." Ned said this without hesitation.p
"Then I suppose it's for the best then." Gladys shrugged. p
"It is." Ned peered at that flawless face, framed by her auburn curls. Once he had loved that face dearly, now he only looked upon it with fondness.p
As he gazed at her, the hair seemed to move and weave, the strands turning like the coils of a snake. Ned watched fascinated. It was like seeing the Medusa come alive. They came out at him and he could hear the hiss sound they - it made.p
iThe priest released the snake upon the prone pale one and as it slithered up his bare chest, he chanted in their old ancient language. Oh, the ritual was long, but it was not often that they could sacrifice so many outlanders at once. Their young ones would not be sacrificed to the gods this season. The elders did not know how to cure the disease that seems to swell up the bellies of their people. They thought the gods frowned upon them now. Then these outlanders showed up in their odd coverings and weapons, caught by their traps. The elixir put them to sleep and soon they would join the gods in the Great Circle of All. They would be eternally happy to have aleved the sufferings of their people. br
Ned stirred, a frown on his face. Glady's hair..so odd..like Medusa..snakes..the plateau..Veronica..caught in the traps..br
The priest frowned. They were resistant, but they did not know better, not being knowledgable of the wisdoms of the gods. He opened Ned's mouth and poured the exlir in. Some of it dribbled out and - /ip
Ned found that he was not looking at Glady's hair at all, but drinking some punch. Now how did that get there? He shrugged, looked at Gladys again. Her hair looked as it always had. p
He smiled fondly at her. p
"If you will excuse me, Gladys." p
"Of course, Ned.." she said softly. "Please forgive me.." p
"There's nothing to forgive, Gladys." Ned's eyes were serious. p
"You always were sweet, Neddy.." Gladys smiled. "I only hope Harry does - forgive me, that is."p
"He will, I'm sure.." Ned shifted on his feet, anxious to find Veronica.p
"Goodbye.." Gladys backed away and Ned watched as she disappeared into the crowd. p
Lost in memory for a moment, Ned resolutely turned in the direction where Veronica went off to. He wasn't about to let her get away without a fight.p
