Fog swirled around the small island; enveloping the orphanage and the adjacent convent. It seemed thick enough to grab hold of, if one could manage it. A shifting, silent mass, it's thinning parts made solid by the black night. Only the quiet, intermittent lap of the waves told the watchful mother superior that there was a larger world out there beyond her own.
She slowly drew the heavy curtain across the window, pausing before turning to face her midnight visitor.
"You're asking me to betray the only family I have left--your audacity amazes me."
She continued, "And it angers me. You're involvement in the murder of my sister...and your brother-"
"And your involvement?" Vasilescu asked, folding his hands calmly over his crossed legs. "Their deaths were pre-destined. Once the machine was set in motion nothing could save them-"
"Entirely preventable and unnecessarily brutal--," her voice shook as she began to pace under the portrait of Eve.
"It was beyond our control. The decision was made--besides," he shrugged, "we were so young then-what did we know?" He idly crossed his arms.
"And we aren't accountable?"
"We can't change the past."
She slapped the desk, "We're here precisely because of that possibility!"
"Yes. And for those talismans to fall into Anthony's hands would be exceptionally detrimental for both of us."
"And why should we worry?" She leaned over the desk and jabbed her finger at Vasilescu, "YOU! You turned him into a homicidal killing machine. To do your foul deeds--and for what?! For whores and guns and MONEY!!"
"You had your chance to 'mold' him into a proper supplicant of the Way. And you failed. Miserably." He should just kill her and get it over with, but she would be useful later.
"He thinks I'm the one that informed! He thinks I led the Council to the hideout and let my sister be killed!!"
"Oh. Well, didn't you?"
"Damn you. Anthony is still a good man. Despite the depraved things you've made him do for you--"
"Made? Ha!" Vasilescu snorted loudly. "I pointed a little in one direction and the boy took off galloping. He was born a killer, never mind a king. And nothing will change that--and if we don't work together, he'll soon be an omnipotent killer."
Vasilescu stood and leaned forward on the desk, "You can reason with him. Get him to give you the key back again. For safe keeping. You can still convince him that he's not ready. And there's the girl--"
"Girl?", she startled.
"Yes, the red-headed one. He's developed an interest in her. Perhaps if you can convince her that the necklace belongs with you--you can prevent her giving it to him."
"And what if she loves him?"
"Then it will already be too late. She'll give him the necklace and we'll be done for. He will kill us for revenge and then--god knows what!"
He calmed himself, "You know what he will then do, right? He'll kill us and use our blood to open the portal-"
"Yes, he'll go back to save his parents--"
"And that can't HAPPEN!" He shouted. He couldn't hold it in anymore--the fear was starting to gnaw at him.
"And why not? Oh, I see. That's right. Then your brother would have found out that you were informing on the community--that his own brother was a coward! A turn coat!"
He backed away; she drew herself up and continued, "You would probably have preferred being killed instead of the pity that he would have shown you. That they both would have shown you. His insignificant, jealous and greedy FLEA! of a brother. No wonder you don't want Anthony to succeed."
A silence stretched a bit before he answered, "All that may be true. But he still blames you for much of what he suffered at the orphanage."
"What could I do?! The mother superior forbade that I tell him who he truly was--" she stopped short. Finally realizing the full extent that she failed him. She had driven him away from a good path and onto an evil one. All because of her 'pride and integrity' told her not to disobey.
And she hadn't disobeyed. But at what cost? She looked into the cool blue eyes of her nemesis. "I will help you."
She slowly drew the heavy curtain across the window, pausing before turning to face her midnight visitor.
"You're asking me to betray the only family I have left--your audacity amazes me."
She continued, "And it angers me. You're involvement in the murder of my sister...and your brother-"
"And your involvement?" Vasilescu asked, folding his hands calmly over his crossed legs. "Their deaths were pre-destined. Once the machine was set in motion nothing could save them-"
"Entirely preventable and unnecessarily brutal--," her voice shook as she began to pace under the portrait of Eve.
"It was beyond our control. The decision was made--besides," he shrugged, "we were so young then-what did we know?" He idly crossed his arms.
"And we aren't accountable?"
"We can't change the past."
She slapped the desk, "We're here precisely because of that possibility!"
"Yes. And for those talismans to fall into Anthony's hands would be exceptionally detrimental for both of us."
"And why should we worry?" She leaned over the desk and jabbed her finger at Vasilescu, "YOU! You turned him into a homicidal killing machine. To do your foul deeds--and for what?! For whores and guns and MONEY!!"
"You had your chance to 'mold' him into a proper supplicant of the Way. And you failed. Miserably." He should just kill her and get it over with, but she would be useful later.
"He thinks I'm the one that informed! He thinks I led the Council to the hideout and let my sister be killed!!"
"Oh. Well, didn't you?"
"Damn you. Anthony is still a good man. Despite the depraved things you've made him do for you--"
"Made? Ha!" Vasilescu snorted loudly. "I pointed a little in one direction and the boy took off galloping. He was born a killer, never mind a king. And nothing will change that--and if we don't work together, he'll soon be an omnipotent killer."
Vasilescu stood and leaned forward on the desk, "You can reason with him. Get him to give you the key back again. For safe keeping. You can still convince him that he's not ready. And there's the girl--"
"Girl?", she startled.
"Yes, the red-headed one. He's developed an interest in her. Perhaps if you can convince her that the necklace belongs with you--you can prevent her giving it to him."
"And what if she loves him?"
"Then it will already be too late. She'll give him the necklace and we'll be done for. He will kill us for revenge and then--god knows what!"
He calmed himself, "You know what he will then do, right? He'll kill us and use our blood to open the portal-"
"Yes, he'll go back to save his parents--"
"And that can't HAPPEN!" He shouted. He couldn't hold it in anymore--the fear was starting to gnaw at him.
"And why not? Oh, I see. That's right. Then your brother would have found out that you were informing on the community--that his own brother was a coward! A turn coat!"
He backed away; she drew herself up and continued, "You would probably have preferred being killed instead of the pity that he would have shown you. That they both would have shown you. His insignificant, jealous and greedy FLEA! of a brother. No wonder you don't want Anthony to succeed."
A silence stretched a bit before he answered, "All that may be true. But he still blames you for much of what he suffered at the orphanage."
"What could I do?! The mother superior forbade that I tell him who he truly was--" she stopped short. Finally realizing the full extent that she failed him. She had driven him away from a good path and onto an evil one. All because of her 'pride and integrity' told her not to disobey.
And she hadn't disobeyed. But at what cost? She looked into the cool blue eyes of her nemesis. "I will help you."