---Chapter 16---
[the next night]
In Liz's room the next evening- she was busy putting the finishing touches on her and Max's costumes. Max was wearing a long dark blue robe such as Kings were apt to wear in the early middle ages. Liz had borrowed both their costumes from a history professor at the community college where Isabel attended. They were both pretty authentic. Hers was a long lavender dress such as ladies of the court wore long ago.
Max set a gold metal circlet on her head. He smiled as he looked at the picture she made.
"You like it?" Liz asked him, knowing well, he liked how it looked on her.
"You're always beautiful, Liz." -Max.
They shared a moment before Liz said, "Well, let's get *you* finished."
Liz put a gold metal crown on Max's head.
She turned him to the mirror. Behind him, Liz was astonished at how royal he looked. "Wow, Max. You look ---"
"Like a king?" Max smiles, ruefully. And then,
"Which king am I supposed to be in this costume?" -Max.
Liz said, "I donâE't know " the professor said it was a young king Arthur look or something like that."?
"Are you Guinevere?" Max smiled.
"No," She said. "This isn't a queen's costume, Max."
"Well, what is it then?" -Max.
"A lady's dress." -Liz.
"Just a lady?" -Max.
"Yes." -Liz.
"I think you should be queen." -Max.
Liz smiled. "Alright, enough joking. We should probably be going if we want to get to Las Cruces in time."
"I wasn't joking." Max started to say, but Liz was ushering him out of her room, their masks in her hands.
- -
Maria arrived at Kyle's. She had gotten her costume at the last minute at a party supply and costume store. It wasn't the greatest, but it wasn't cheesy.
She stepped out of her car, walked to Kyle's door and knocked. After a minute, he opened the door.
"Who are you supposed to be?" Maria asked, upon seeing him.
"A roman soldier. That and Barney was the only thing left when I got to the store an hour ago." -Kyle.
"I told you to go earlier." She continued, surveying him. "But it's okay. You look good enough. At least the costume wasn't fakey plastic."
Kyle looked at her. She wore a greek goddess costume, with the green laurel leaf in her hair and the cream colored dress with a metal leaf arm band. Her hair was curled and fastened on top of her head.
"Thanks. You look fine too." -Kyle.
"I got the masks." -Maria.
She tossed him a brown leather-looking one and she had a gold feathered one.
"So, why are we going again?" -Kyle.
Maria rolled her eyes. "Let's go."
- -
Victoria stood in front of the floor-length mirror in her room. She surveyed her long full gown which just touched the floor in front and trailed behind in the back. The gown was purely white in color, with gold embroidered hems and accents. A diamond necklace clothed her throat and accented the low-cut tight bodice section.
The sleeves were long and came to a point on the hand. She didn't know what sort of designs were at the hems, she didn't recognize them. Her long hair was wavier tonight and held up with a couple combs.
Seeing another reflection behind her, she turns around with a start to find that man "the guest" who was with Adam at the base. He was in costumed as well, but he hadn't put his mask on yet. He looked like some pseudo-soldier or something. She didn't recognize the time period, if there was one for it, maybe it was just a fantasy costume, she thought..
"You didn't put on the finishing touches." -the man.
"What?" -Victoria.
He went over to her bed where a box lay. He opened it and produced a bejeweled crown and carried it to her.
"What am I supposed to be?" -Victoria.
"Who? You mean." -the man said.
She looked at him, puzzled around him.
"Queen." He said and raised the crown to put it on her head. She takes it from him and sets it on her head herself.
"Do you like the image you present?" he asked as he stood behind her in the mirror.
"You mean - do I like my costume?" Victoria says, then continues, "Yes, but I wonder why Adam chose this costume for me."
"He did not." -the man.
"What do you mean?" -Victoria.
"I did." -the man.
Victoria frowned slightly. "I don't understand."
"No you do not." He said, and continued, "But it doesn't matter now.. Are you pleased with my costume designs?"
"Yes." Victoria said, almost haltingly. She didn't know what she was supposed to say or not, so she said. "thank you."
He inclined his head and just like that he left.
She didn't understand that man. Something about him set her off-balance, mentally - if only for a few moments. Victoria turned and left her room, not forgetting to don her gold metal mask.
She encountered Adam in the hallway. Although he wore an exquisite costume, in full Julius Caesar regalia, she recognized him.
He stopped and surveyed her fully.
He nodded his approval and without a word, he took off down the hall in the other direction.
- -
When Michael pulled up to the security gates - he found them opened and guards were ushering cars in, directing them. Michael on his motorcycle, was stopped by a valet who he had to give his keys to âE" so the valet could park it. He put on his mask and went up to the doors where two guards stood on either sides of the double doors.
There were a few people who were waiting to go in, making up a line. When Michael was next, he handed the invitation and found no difficulty getting in at all, not even a strange look.
He took a deep breath and stepped inside the mansion. He was directed to the second floor ballroom. Before entering he experienced a moment of hesitation. He almost felt uncomfortable. What was Victoria thinking, giving him a costume like this to wear?
Michael could see himself in one of the floor-length mirrors of the entranceway to the ballroom. He was clothed in black, head to toe. Even his long cape was black . . satin? He didnâ't know what any of it was made of, but he looked so different. A sword was part of the costume, belted at his waist. What was he supposed to be? He thought "soldier". But that would have been too much of a coincidence. Michael steeled himself and entered the ballroom. . .
---end of chapter 16---
[the next night]
In Liz's room the next evening- she was busy putting the finishing touches on her and Max's costumes. Max was wearing a long dark blue robe such as Kings were apt to wear in the early middle ages. Liz had borrowed both their costumes from a history professor at the community college where Isabel attended. They were both pretty authentic. Hers was a long lavender dress such as ladies of the court wore long ago.
Max set a gold metal circlet on her head. He smiled as he looked at the picture she made.
"You like it?" Liz asked him, knowing well, he liked how it looked on her.
"You're always beautiful, Liz." -Max.
They shared a moment before Liz said, "Well, let's get *you* finished."
Liz put a gold metal crown on Max's head.
She turned him to the mirror. Behind him, Liz was astonished at how royal he looked. "Wow, Max. You look ---"
"Like a king?" Max smiles, ruefully. And then,
"Which king am I supposed to be in this costume?" -Max.
Liz said, "I donâE't know " the professor said it was a young king Arthur look or something like that."?
"Are you Guinevere?" Max smiled.
"No," She said. "This isn't a queen's costume, Max."
"Well, what is it then?" -Max.
"A lady's dress." -Liz.
"Just a lady?" -Max.
"Yes." -Liz.
"I think you should be queen." -Max.
Liz smiled. "Alright, enough joking. We should probably be going if we want to get to Las Cruces in time."
"I wasn't joking." Max started to say, but Liz was ushering him out of her room, their masks in her hands.
- -
Maria arrived at Kyle's. She had gotten her costume at the last minute at a party supply and costume store. It wasn't the greatest, but it wasn't cheesy.
She stepped out of her car, walked to Kyle's door and knocked. After a minute, he opened the door.
"Who are you supposed to be?" Maria asked, upon seeing him.
"A roman soldier. That and Barney was the only thing left when I got to the store an hour ago." -Kyle.
"I told you to go earlier." She continued, surveying him. "But it's okay. You look good enough. At least the costume wasn't fakey plastic."
Kyle looked at her. She wore a greek goddess costume, with the green laurel leaf in her hair and the cream colored dress with a metal leaf arm band. Her hair was curled and fastened on top of her head.
"Thanks. You look fine too." -Kyle.
"I got the masks." -Maria.
She tossed him a brown leather-looking one and she had a gold feathered one.
"So, why are we going again?" -Kyle.
Maria rolled her eyes. "Let's go."
- -
Victoria stood in front of the floor-length mirror in her room. She surveyed her long full gown which just touched the floor in front and trailed behind in the back. The gown was purely white in color, with gold embroidered hems and accents. A diamond necklace clothed her throat and accented the low-cut tight bodice section.
The sleeves were long and came to a point on the hand. She didn't know what sort of designs were at the hems, she didn't recognize them. Her long hair was wavier tonight and held up with a couple combs.
Seeing another reflection behind her, she turns around with a start to find that man "the guest" who was with Adam at the base. He was in costumed as well, but he hadn't put his mask on yet. He looked like some pseudo-soldier or something. She didn't recognize the time period, if there was one for it, maybe it was just a fantasy costume, she thought..
"You didn't put on the finishing touches." -the man.
"What?" -Victoria.
He went over to her bed where a box lay. He opened it and produced a bejeweled crown and carried it to her.
"What am I supposed to be?" -Victoria.
"Who? You mean." -the man said.
She looked at him, puzzled around him.
"Queen." He said and raised the crown to put it on her head. She takes it from him and sets it on her head herself.
"Do you like the image you present?" he asked as he stood behind her in the mirror.
"You mean - do I like my costume?" Victoria says, then continues, "Yes, but I wonder why Adam chose this costume for me."
"He did not." -the man.
"What do you mean?" -Victoria.
"I did." -the man.
Victoria frowned slightly. "I don't understand."
"No you do not." He said, and continued, "But it doesn't matter now.. Are you pleased with my costume designs?"
"Yes." Victoria said, almost haltingly. She didn't know what she was supposed to say or not, so she said. "thank you."
He inclined his head and just like that he left.
She didn't understand that man. Something about him set her off-balance, mentally - if only for a few moments. Victoria turned and left her room, not forgetting to don her gold metal mask.
She encountered Adam in the hallway. Although he wore an exquisite costume, in full Julius Caesar regalia, she recognized him.
He stopped and surveyed her fully.
He nodded his approval and without a word, he took off down the hall in the other direction.
- -
When Michael pulled up to the security gates - he found them opened and guards were ushering cars in, directing them. Michael on his motorcycle, was stopped by a valet who he had to give his keys to âE" so the valet could park it. He put on his mask and went up to the doors where two guards stood on either sides of the double doors.
There were a few people who were waiting to go in, making up a line. When Michael was next, he handed the invitation and found no difficulty getting in at all, not even a strange look.
He took a deep breath and stepped inside the mansion. He was directed to the second floor ballroom. Before entering he experienced a moment of hesitation. He almost felt uncomfortable. What was Victoria thinking, giving him a costume like this to wear?
Michael could see himself in one of the floor-length mirrors of the entranceway to the ballroom. He was clothed in black, head to toe. Even his long cape was black . . satin? He didnâ't know what any of it was made of, but he looked so different. A sword was part of the costume, belted at his waist. What was he supposed to be? He thought "soldier". But that would have been too much of a coincidence. Michael steeled himself and entered the ballroom. . .
---end of chapter 16---