Tapestry - Chapter 21
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Wufei and I were right behind Treize as he strode across the deck, down the gangplank and into the waiting limousine. He opened the door and waved us in, smiling. I moved all the way to the opposite side of the car, mindful of my skirt; Wufei climbed in next and scooted next to me; and Treize slid in last. I heard the door slam, immediately blocking out all extraneous sounds. Tension literally drained away from my shoulders as I leaned back in the seat, exhausted. It was a small physical pleasure simply to sit back, close my eyes, breathe deeply and relax.
As the limousine purred away from dock, it was with a curious sense of relief that I opened my eyes, looked out the window and watched the scenery of the port and downtown rush past. Now, finally, there were just the three of us. I knew it shouldn't feel as good as it did, but for some reason, I couldn't help myself. It DID feel right and it DID feel good and ....
The coolness of the window against my cheek made me realize how hard I was pressing my head against the glass. Gods, what was wrong with me? My feet were throbbing and my face felt flushed, but so what? They weren't excuses to feel comfortable; Treize was here, and he was the man who took away my freedom and Wufei's freedom. Plus, he had just thrown both of us to the wolves on that hideous, never ending cruise from the island to Naples with hardly a backwards look. We were lucky to have survived with our skin intact, because he certainly didn't interfere; in fact, he invited the wolves to attack.
Now I was angry again.
No, no, that was explained, my dear - remember? remarked that strange inner voice. And as for the former, you knew that could happen when you chose to be a vigilante. Consequences always follow your choices.
I blinked and slumped back into my seat, strangely deflated. It was true - not couched in words that I would have used, but true, all the same. I didn't consider myself to be a vigilante, though - I didn't. Really, I didn't.
I sighed and stared out the window again. Naples might have been gorgeous, but I didn't see it.
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After a short time, Treize spoke. "We are going to a lovely Italian restaurant for dinner; naturally, I should say. You don't want to eat Chinese here," he added lightly.
Wufei hunched his shoulders together, making himself a very tight, contained ball, his face hard and expressionless.
I laughed involuntarily. "Ah .. no. I suppose not."
Treize smiled and leaned back. Wufei hunched even more.
I took a deep breath and tilted my head forward, just enough to see him past Wufei. "Ah ... will we be doing much walking?"
"No," he replied, glancing over at me. He seemed to think a moment, and then actually appeared to blush a little. "Sally, I'm sorry. How thoughtless of me ... your shoes -"
Wufei, too, glanced at my feet and started to flush a bit.
"Oh - well. That's all right, Treize. As long as I don't have to walk several miles, I'll be fine." I smiled, trying to put a good spin on it. My feet hurt, but as long as I didn't have to walk very far, they would be fine. They had been in worse shape during the war, to be sure; although walking in high heels today was akin to walking with pieces of burning coals between my toes.
"You will not," he assured me, smiling back.
I nodded gratefully, sinking back into the seat. "Ah. That's good, then."
Wufei wasn't responding to anything at all. I bent my head and looked at him, concerned.
"Wufei ... are you all right?" I kept my voice pitched low, only for his ears.
"Un," he responded, shrugging.
"Wufei," Treize started gently, putting his hand on Wufei's knee.
Wufei turned on him with all the viciousness of a viper. "How DARE you touch me!" he exploded in fury, slapping Treize's hand away.
"Wufei, please calm down. I meant no -"
"Don't you TOUCH me! EVER!"
A heavy, dead silence permeated the car. I was stunned, shocked, pulled back as far as I could into my corner of the limo. A still, small voice reminded me that this is how I wanted Wufei to react, because Treize really shouldn't be touching him at all; while another part of me was terribly confused because Treize was preparing Wufei for freedom, and shouldn't he at least be grateful?
Gads. My head hurt. I just came from two hours of this kind of angry, vehement behavior. Was this necessary? Did he have to scream at Treize right in front of me?
They sat, looking into each other's eyes, silent for a long moment.
"Are you finished?" Treize asked, his voice soft.
" ... yes," Wufei answered, settling back,sulking. He drew his arms around himself, his body language very tight, and refused to look at Treize. Or me, for that matter.
In my case that was good, as I couldn't look at him, either. I felt guilty - I was angry at him and I knew that was wrong. How could I be so terribly selfish, more worried about my own comfort than his bodily integrity?
Treize glanced at Wufei once more, completely disapproving, then settled back.
The rest of the journey was made in uncomfortable silence.
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The restaurant - a low, Mediterranean style building in adobe brick, earthen tones and red tile roof - was a welcome sight. I nearly bolted out of the back seat; fortunately, several uniformed valets leaped to open the door on my side. I scooted out quickly and stood next to the limo, glad to be out of that stifling atmosphere.
Treize strode around from the other side with a weary smile, looking very grand and noble as Wufei climbed out of the limo. He glared up at Treize and snorted, then turned his back on the general, straightened his shoulders and stomped off into the restaurant.
I watched him go, not quite believing what I just saw. And again, part of me cheered for him being so rude, while another part was aghast as such obviously poor behavior.
Not now. Please, not again. My mind can't take this, I groaned as he disappeared through the arched doorway. He's right, and -
"I can dress him up, but I can't take him out?"
I snapped out of my reverie and looked up at Treize. "Well - we've all had quite a lot of excitement today."
"Yes." Treize sighed as he offered his arm to me. "But I had hoped he was more ready for this."
I took his arm and fell into step with him; naturally, it seemed. "I'm sure he is ready, Treize. It's simply trying, being around so many people." I smiled at him. "Much different when the number is fewer, you know."
"Mmmm ... you know, I think you're right." He led me inside and sighed once, looking satisfied. "I am - quite relieved. You are correct, of course, my dear Sally."
He nodded at the maitre'd at the foyer and walked through the archway and into the restaurant proper. It was a lovely, quiet, Italian restaurant, with a small fountain in the middle. Very discreet, in that there were few tables in the main dining area, and those that were were screened by foliage. Wufei was already seated at a table; apparently, he knew which one was ours and was waiting for us, scowling.
I looked up at Treize and smiled. Would he tell me anything about the former generals and ladies from the ship? "I'm surprised the rest of the party didn't choose to come here for dinner - it's so pleasant."
He snorted softly and gave me a small, sidelong grin. "THEY were not invited."
"Oh ... I see." Ah hah. Exactly what I thought. He's not going to tell me a damn thing.
Treize settled me in a chair next to Wufei, then took his seat on Wufei's opposite side. "I suggest the tortellini alla fungi, with sundried tomatoes and cream sauce," he said without preamble, picking up and then glancing at the menu. "In the mood for veal, Wufei?"
Wufei hissed at Treize through bared teeth, "I will accept no meat from you."
At that, Treize burst into laughter. "If I didn't know any better, Wufei, I'd say you were insinuating something sexual in that statement."
Now I was sure my life had turned the corner from the real into the surreal. My eyes grew wide with shock; hopefully, though, I was keeping my face carefully neutral, not giving any of my true feelings away.
Wufei, though, was not as successful. He was frozen in place, staring at Treize, while his face did a slow burn, turning beet red from the neck up.
Treize was still chuckling. "Then you won't have the veal. I DO want you to have some protein, though ... hm. Chicken? or seafood?"
And that voice - not MY voice, but that other voice I couldn't ignore spoke again:
~~... I COULD have said fish ... heh, heh ... ~~
I started breathing faster again; this wasn't funny. I wanted to ignore it; and I knew that I could ignore it NOW, but something told me it wasn't always going to be that way.
It didn't matter. I could do it now, and that's what mattered. Right. Now. This. Instant. Gads...
"Crab." Wufei leaned back in his chair, literally about an inch more than before, still extremely red.
"Alfredo?"
" ... yes." He was definitely shrinking now, not looking at Treize.
"Fine. Crab alfredo it is. And you, Sally? What would you like?"
"Ah .. well ..." I hadn't been paying attention to the menu at all. Now I looked over at Treize, and found his startlingly blue gaze locked on mine. It was so powerful that the room appeared to dim, go out of focus ...
"Shrimp with angelhair pasta? Or penne pasta? I would suggest the morrell mushrooms -"
Gods, it was easy, so easy just to see his eyes and nothing else, almost a drifting feeling. There was something so odd, so strange in the way I felt - and there was nothing I could do. I wanted to tear my gaze away, but I couldn't; and after a while, even that desire left until all I could do was drift, and drift ...
"Excellent." Fluent Italian and the snap of a menu brought me back to the present, looking down at a lovely place setting, wondering exactly where I was and what had happened. I glanced up in time to see a waiter happily bowing to Treize; both of them were talking and laughing, speaking fluent Italian. Glancing over at Wufei didn't give me much of a clue, either. He was fascinated by whatever was on his plate; his head was down and he was NOT looking up, no matter what.
Gods. I must be coming down with something. Looking for a waterglass, I found and clutched a finely spun, excellent piece of stemware filled with water, ice and a wedge of lemon. Raising it to my lips, I looked across the table and met Treize's eyes. Now they looked normal, that beautiful, clear, sky blue color.
I blinked. Of course they were normal, you ninny. What did you expect?
"So, Sally," he started pleasantly, "did anyone tell you what opera we were going to see?"
And at the same time he was speaking to me, yet another voice - this one very different than that first voice, and definitely not mine - mumbled in my head like a staticky radio station, with only a few words coming through clearly:
~~... inhabited ...... inhuman ... question of ... ... demon ... ... and Seiryuu's child ......~~
I stared at him and blinked, trying to focus on exactly what that other voice was saying. "Ah ... ex - excuse me?"
Treize raised an inquiring eyebrow.
Oh gods, that wasn't good. Recover, Sally, and do it fast. I forced myself to smile weakly at him. "Ah, I'm sorry. You did mention it was Don Giovanni, but I didn't have an opportunity to read the libretto."
He inclined his head a little in gracious understanding. "That's quite all right, Sally. You'll have time to read the synopsis before it begins. Wine?" He held a bottle out for cursory inspection. "It's '89 ... not a bad year."
"Why, yes, thank you."
~~... non human ... much more than human ...~~
He smiled and poured me barely half a glass, then poured some for himself and some for Wufei. I sighed and sipped at it; as usual, he was correct; it was a nice wine, flavorful, good for the table. Wufei, on the other hand, was regarding his glass as if it was a reptile with two heads.
"Wufei. You can drink it," Treize said lightly, watching him over the rim of his glass.
Wufei blinked at Treize, then at the wineglass, then back at Treize.
"Wufei. Try it." To encourage him I took a sip of my own wine. "It's good. Not terribly sweet, either. I think you'll like it."
He stared at his wineglass, as if in shock. If Treize had handed him a toad on a dinner plate, he couldn't have been more surprised.
I tried to relax in my chair, at least a little, when I heard that voice fade in and out again in my mind - and THIS time I was quite sure I heard it. There was no mistaking what it said:
~~... bathroom ... .... Duo ... a dress ...~~
Looking down in my lap, now at least I knew what I had to do; and I had a fair idea of what had been happening, which gave me a great sense of relief. There was nothing mysterious here, nothing supernatural. There must have been a transmitter somewhere close to my chair, keyed to my cellphone, and I was simply picking up the signals.
Fine. More than fine - it was excellent. Because the OTHER ideas I had been considering were pretty fantastic. And not in the good sense.
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"Treize - ah - would you excuse me, please, for a few moments?" I rose from my seat and placed my napkin on my chair, taking my small clutch with me. "I believe ... the ladies' room is near the entrance ...?"
He raised his eyebrow at me again, but rose to his feet politely. "Of course, Sally. Hurry back, please - our meal will arrive soon."
I avoided his gaze; he always seemed to know whenever I was lying, and I didn't want to deal with that now. "Yes, Treize, I will. Thank you."
As I glided between the tables in the main dining room, that voice prodded me on my way:
~~... demon ...~~
I tried my best to insure that I didn't look as though I was hurrying to leave the dining room, but as soon as I was in the foyer, I scanned for the ladies' room as quickly as I could. Once I found it, I literally sailed into it, praying it was empty. My prayers were answered - it was, except for -
- a French maid? Gods, I looked for Duo, and the only person there was this little cute little French maid with long chestnut hair and a short black dress, cleaning the counter. She had black stockings, great legs, heels higher than mine, a white apron, and when she turned around, she -
I gasped. And then snickered.
Duo scowled at me. "Don't you DARE say a word. They wouldn't hire me over at the San Carlo, and Trowa said you were going to come here for dinner, so .... anyway. You have about five minutes, right?"
I sobered immediately. "Yes, you're probably right. Five minutes tops. Can you lock this door?"
"Not without protests - but we gotcha covered."
He pulled a small key from a ruffled pocked and unlocked the closet door.
"In you go!" he beamed, waving me through the door.
The closet was huge, and had an enormous amount of supplies, including a bench in the back with a small light.
I switched the light on before he closed and locked the door. "You have great legs for this kind of work," I commented with a straight face.
Duo gave me a decidedly ungrateful glare from under long, thick eyelashes.
Obviously fake, snickered my inner voice.
"We don't have long." He dug into the pocket of his uniform again and handed me a small blue tab, about the size of an aspirin. "Clip this to your bra, or something. It'll stay. It's a tracking device."
I nodded and took it from him, surprised to find my hands were shaking a little. They didn't feel like they were shaking, but - there you go. Get into the spy business, and lots of things can surprise you. "Why do you need me to wear this?" I asked as I attached it, turning away from him a little.
"We didn't make it a transmitter, because that's too easy to pick up. And ... well. We don't know exactly where that island is. I mean - I was there, and all, but I was unconscious when I got there, and underwater when I left. Same with Heero. Quatre knows, but we can't get to him anymore."
"Why not?"
Duo gave me a weak smile, shrugging. "His sisters found him. Locked him up. 'For his own good,' you see. And being Quatre, he ... didn't fight. Could've, but - didn't."
I groaned. "What about Sandrock?"
He shook his head. "They didn't get Sandrock - we got him covered."
"Well ... at least you have the gundam. That's good, I guess." I rallied a little. "Listen. Did you know there was a big dinner meeting here today? All the movers and shakers of OZ are at it, except for Treize. I don't know where they went, though."
Duo blinked at me, which given his current costume, looked really cute. "A ... dinner meeting? No, we didn't."
"Eh ... well, the bartender on the ship said ALL those people were going to the same place. One restaurant. And they were all planning something tonight. I dunno, though." I frowned, considering it a little more. "It could've been a trap - some kind of setup to see if I passed on information to anyone, too."
"Nobody's sent us anything." Duo scowled. "We got a couple of insiders, but - everybody's scared to DO anything now that the war's 'lost.' LOST. Yeah, right." He snarled the last word, angry.
I was angry, too. "We can't just sit here, Duo. But I can't even tell you how reliable my information is."
"It's okay," he said, soothing. "You got that much, and you know we're with you." He sighed, looking at the door. "You probably can't stay here that much longer."
"No. I don't think I can." I already felt anxious, looking past him to the door.
"Listen, Sall, it'll be all right. Trowa said he had some way to talk to you. Said something weird about your lineage. I dunno what that means. Just go with it - and scoot, before you get in trouble."
I felt the blood drain from my face. "Was that ... oh. Listen, Duo, ask Trowa when you see him - what did he mean when he said 'demon?' I mean, I heard him and all, and it's an apt description for what's going on, but really-"
Duo gave me a funny look. "I didn't mean NOW, Sall. Trowa's in France. Dunno what you heard, but he's nowhere near here. Now get going! You'll get us caught!"
I stared at him, not understanding. "What - what do you mean, he's in France ... I heard him - that's why I'm here -"
Duo didn't respond. He pushed me toward the door with one hand, opened the door with the other and leaned around the doorframe, making sure the bathroom was empty before shoving me into the middle of the room.
"And flush the toilet - they can hear that in the kitchen!"
I moved into one of the stalls, did as I was told, then went to the sink. With a sigh I washed my hands, adjusted my gown, patted my hair and left the bathroom, leaving the maid cleaning the mirrors.
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Steaming angelhair pasta with shrimp was waiting for me as I slipped into my seat at the table, smiling at both Wufei and Treize. Wufei definitely seemed more relaxed; one look at his wineglass told the tale.
"Enjoy, Sally," Treize said with a wave of his hand at my meal. Both Treize and Wufei were halfway through their meals.
"Thank you - it looks lovely." And actually, it looked and smelled wonderful. I started eating, slowly - and it tasted delicious.
Treize poured more wine for Wufei, earning him a strange look.
"More, Treize?" Wufei asked, eyeing his glass with suspicion.
Treize shrugged a little. "You seemed to like it."
Snorting, Wufei eyed the glass a little more. "It is ... odd."
"Very." Treize continued eating, not looking up.
"Very odd." Wufei sounded contemplative, as if he was trying to make up his mind. He shook his head and went back to eating, every now and then glancing back at the glass.
The rest of the meal, brief as it was, proceeded without incident. Treize refilled my wineglass a little more, and Wufei's; we murmured and passed the bread basket to each other politely; but other than that, we had no other conversation.
"Would either of you care for dessert?" Treize asked, looking from Wufei to me. "Our time does grown short, but ..."
"Ah - no, thank you, Treize - not for me," I replied, putting my fork down and dabbing my napkin at my mouth. It would have been nice to drink more wine, but I wasn't going to make a fuss.
"Then if you are both finished ...?"
I rose from my seat and looked over at Wufei. He frowned thoughtfully at his plate, looking extremely relaxed - in fact, I realized that he was slouching in chair, something that was completely uncharacteristic for him. Amused, I wondered exactly how much wine he'd actually had.
Treize rose as well. I looked from Treize to Wufei. "Wufei," I asked, keeping my voice pitched low, "are you ready to leave?"
He looked up at me in mild surprise. "Yes, I am," he replied, standing and blinking. I tried not to snicker as I watched him cat-stretch his back.
"Come with me, my friends," Treize said, offering me his arm again. I smiled up at him and took it, falling into step with him again as he led me through the restaurant, past the bowing maitre'd and out to the sidewalk.
Sultry, warm air surrounded us as we strolled from the restaurant to the theater - and fortunately for my feet, it wasn't very far. I glanced behind to see Wufei following us. Presenting a moody picture, he trailed behind, looking at the sidewalk as he ambled along, his hands in his pockets, deep in thought.
"Well, as you know, we will be seeing Mozart's Don Giovanni." Treize broke the silence and smiled down at me, charming as ever.
"Ah - Mozart is wonderful!" I replied, beaming. "I truly enjoy his music."
"I don't, but his operas are lovely. Much darker than the rest, you know. I do not enjoy most of Mozart's music. It's ... well." Treize favored me with an embarrassed, almost flirty smile. "It's so ... happy. I find it to be very untrue to life."
I shrugged and glanced up at him. "Well, I suppose that's true - but not all of life is dark. There are some bright moments, too. You can't have one without the other; everything needs to be in balance."
"But his music, with the exception of the operas and the requiem, of course, is almost perpetually bright. I cannot blame him; it was the period, after all. Even the architecture was airy."
I nodded. "Quite a bit different from the gothic style of the previous centuries."
"Mmm. And from the turmoil that came after it - but what could one expect? The Age of Rationalism had removed God, and they had not thought to replace him with something else."
In very many ways, it was easy to talk with Treize. Well - perhaps too easy, as I found myself saying more than I meant to say. Then again, I wasn't saying anything I didn't truly believe, so why should I lie? And we weren't discussing the war, or troop positions, or the resistance, so I didn't see any danger in what I was doing.
An odd thought ran across my mind - he never asked me any questions about my involvement with the resistance. Wasn't that ... strange? Wouldn't he want to know? It felt weird - but I needed to push those questions to some other part of my mind, to be examined later. Right now there were other things demanding my attention.
First - Treize was looking right at me, expecting some kind of response. It wasn't good to keep him waiting; he tended to get snippier when that happened, even if accidental. Second - that off-the-cuff comment sounded vaguely familiar. I was fairly certain he used that in a speech several months ago; and if that was true, then I was being had again. Hmm ... I didn't like that.
Tilting my head, I raised one eyebrow and asked, deliberately skeptical, "And what do you believe people have currently put in place of God? Themselves?"
"Well. That's all that's left, isn't it?"
"You know, I'm not sure I agree at all. Even if one did not believe in 'God' in the traditional sense, there is always the problem of the 'divine spark.'"
As I gazed up at Treize, I belatedly realized that he thoroughly enjoyed people disagreeing with him. He thinks it's invigorating - and he LIKES it. And I just walked right into it, I thought, grinding my teeth. Gods, I did it again. I am such a moron.
Treize laughed softly and patted my hand. "Indeed. And how do you define that, Sally?" He looked straight into my eyes, his blue eyes sparkling and appealing, appearing very interested in what I had to say, waiting for me to speak.
"Ah ... well." I glanced at the park on my left, gathering my thoughts, frowning a little. Lush, verdant trees and grass gave a picture perfect background for the last rays of sunlight to just shimmer through the branches and skim the edges of some leaves and grass with gold fire. Looking at that picture helped me think.
"I mean - something had to start the process. I'm not sure I'm explaining this adequately, but life had to spring from somewhere. You could argue it was always here, and man is simply another manifestation of it - but even in that case, man can't claim to take the place of God."
"Very good, Sally. There is simply too much order in the universe for it to have come from chance. Order cannot come from chaos."
"And man did not impose a structure on the universe."
"Absolutely true, except for one question. 'Replace' God, Sally? Perhaps that isn't necessary. Perhaps God isn't even active with man at all, my dear. He has not been for a very long time."
"But - wait - didn't you say that the Age of Rationalism had removed God?"
He smiled down at me. "Let us say that in the Age of Rationalism, man realized that he neither needed God nor proof of His existence. Of course, as you said, something had to get everything started; I am quite convinced of that. However, I rather think He didn't bother with us afterward, don't you?"
"Well, that's certainly one viewpoint," I replied, raising my eyebrow at him.
An eloquent shrug rippled across his shoulders. "And you see evidence of Him ... where, Sally? Aside from that which stems from creation directly, that is."
He was leading me toward an old, restored stone building, several stories tall,with Moorish arches on the first story and Corinthian columns gracing the second. Structures like this were common in this part of Naples, but none were as tastefully understated as the San Carlo opera house.
I glanced behind, and noticed that Wufei was indeed taking his time as he meandered along. "I suppose you could say that which makes us human could be a manifestation of ... but that's difficult to define."
"Correct. It seems to me, Sally," Treize said as he bowed me through one of the large, Moorish arches, "that man is simply autonomous - and to attempt to live according to a God whom no one really sees or experiences is foolish and an excuse."
I gave him an odd look. "But - live according to God in what way?"
He shrugged. "No one seems to know, do they?"
"Do you mean morality?"
"Everyone has holy books, holy prophets, holy law ... saa, Sally, it's not very practical." Treize paused for a moment, looking behind me, his eyebrows drawn together in a slight frown. "Wufei - hurry up, please," he called, raising his voice slightly. "I have his ticket, you see," he explained, lowering his voice again, smiling a little.
"Oh ... I see." I thought for a moment, watching Wufei take his time. "Wait. Do you mean conventional morality is not practical?"
"Conventional to whom, Sally?"
"Ah." I glanced up at him, then looked out at Wufei again.
He leaned toward me, smiling but insistent."I know you understand me, but that is not the point. I would like an answer - conventional to whom? For example," he continued casually, "Wufei's culture views virginity as something to be protected at all costs - and yet, I think you will have to admit our own does not. Whose is correct?"
I frowned, feeling my face get warm. "Are you saying that morality is purely cultural? That, depending upon where you're born, you're inculcated with a certain - ah - 'morality script,' for lack of a better phrase?"
"Of course not. After all, morality is TAUGHT. What child, without instruction, knows it is 'wrong' to steal, or to hit? Or to claim things not its own AS its own?"
"Yes, but some things are not explicitly taught. Many things are learned simply by observation, and -"
"Saa, but that is just another form of teaching. If you took a child - let it grow up without being SHOWN these things - would it not act simply as it did as an infant? Selfish?"
Finally Wufei drifted up to us, glancing at Treize as he wandered up the steps.
"Are you assuming that the infant grew without observing or interacting with anyone else?" I asked, looking at him incredulously.
"I am merely saying this, my dear Sally." Treize held the door open for Wufei and me, ushering us both inside. "Whether you learn by observation or simply by being taught, the fact is that morality is learned - it is not innate. That means it can be shaped for the betterment of Man as a whole. Its purpose is that, after all, ne?"
We strolled across the foyer with the rest of the crowd. It was as breathtaking inside as it was outside; the San Carlo opera house lived up to its reputation, rivaling La Scala in looks and beauty. Its acoustics were legendary, even after the fires and the many renovations it had undergone; however, all that was lost on Wufei and I, as we now were staring at Treize in unsettled surprise.
"If morality can be shaped in one way," I started slowly, "... then ... it can certainly be shaped in others."
"Absolutely," Treize agreed.
I stared at him for a beat. "Warped, in fact."
"Hence, why it is essential that it is done carefully. Think of the book Oliver Twist. Have you read that classic, Sally?"
"Yes. Years ago."
"Fagan's - 'children.' Did any of them see anything wrong with lying? Stealing? With, in general, breaking all the laws they could?"
I hesitated. "Well ... no. Because of their circumstances, they believed they were entitled to get whatever they could -"
"Of course. That would be an example of being ... poorly taught."
He stopped speaking for a moment as we approached the main body of people waiting in line to be seated in the orchestra section. We stopped walking; Treize smiled and leaned down toward us, speaking quietly again, his hand still on my arm.
"To my mind, the point of morality is to make society livable. But, as you say, what happens when you have a clash of 'moralities?' Then one must decide what is best for man as a whole. Your freedom fighting is the perfect example."
I stared up at him, my eyes widening in response. What exactly was he trying to say? Treize glanced down at me, patted my hand, then looked over my head and spoke to someone in flawless Italian.
"Si, signore. Follow me, please."
I turned and looked behind me. There was a dark haired young man, an employee of the opera house, beckoning for us to follow him across the foyer and into a bank of gold-edged elevators. We hurried over to join him; he bowed and motioned for us to enter the elevator before him.
Wufei hung back again, his hands in his pockets, not looking up. Treize glanced down at him, put his right hand in the middle of Wufei's back and moved him inside the elevator. Wufei jumped, then settled down. I watched the elevator operator glance at Treize, then at Wufei, then back at Treize again. Heaving a small sigh, he nodded once, pulled a key out of his jacket pocket, inserted it into a panel and turned it clockwise. A slight jarring sensation shimmered through my legs; the doors closed and we started to climb.
The ride was smooth and silent. Treize kept his hand on Wufei's back, quiet and possessive. Wufei no longer seemed to notice - he was back to being pensive. I turned my head and pulled away, feeling totally useless. Really, if Wufei wasn't going to complain, how could I?
"Your floor, sir."
The elevator operator bowed to us as he opened the door and let us out. Snicking quietly behind us, the doors closed and the elevator went back down to the lower level, the floor rumbling underneath our feet.
"This way." Treize strode directly across the carpeted hall to a curtained doorway, leading both Wufei and me to one of the private boxes. He pulled the curtain back, allowing Wufei to go in first.
"I do enjoy Nicolas, the young man who escorted us here," Treize said calmly to me, barring my way as I tried to follow Wufei into the box, "but he's gay, and has no qualms about making himself available to people he finds attractive." Gently, he added, "I rather thought Wufei would not react well, so I attempted to make boundaries clear - you see?"
"Ah - I - believe so. Wufei didn't seem to notice, either." I blinked, looking up at him, realizing that Wufei didn't seem to notice Treize's hand OR Nicolas' interest. In fact, Wufei hardly seemed to notice anything at all.
Treize nodded at me. "I'd prefer it that way. Such innocence is hard to find these days. After you." He bowed his head at me, smiling.
I smiled back at him and went to the entrance, squinting, trying to see Wufei inside. Immediately, that voice - the staticky one from the restaurant - mumbled in my head again, clearer this time:
~~...did that ... so you would see he has WHYS for everything he does ... and to try to tell you his reasons are GOOD ...~~
Shocked and not believing what I just thought I heard, I stumbled over to the seats in the box, then twisted around to see the general follow me.
Treize stepped inside. He was momentarily silhouetted against the bright light of the hallway, emphasizing the breadth of his shoulders and the way he had to stoop and turn sideways to move though the doorway. My breath caught in my throat; he appeared huge, enormous. And when he drew the curtain and effectively cut the three of us off from the rest of the world - gods, I thought I stopped breathing altogether. It might have been irrational, but I felt surrounded, imprisoned; trapped, with no way out.
Fortunately when I turned around, I saw our box overlooked both the stage and the orchestra, opening toward the rest of the house. I sighed in relief; that claustrophobic feeling constricting my chest loosened its grip. Our seats were in a box near the curtain on the third level, fairly high from the main floor. It gave us an excellent view of the entire stage.
The San Carlo had the reputation of being the oldest working theater in Europe, and was rumored to be Rosinni's favorite. I could certainly see why; the stage was a beautiful, meticulously constructed proscenium stage, and the house itself was in pristine condition.
My eyes adjusted to the low light. Wufei sat in one large chair on the left; there were two empty chairs on his right. Treize walked behind me and put his arm around my waist, guiding me to the large chair on the extreme right, while he took the empty chair in the middle.
"Please?" he asked with a smile.
"Oh ... of course." I responded automatically, smiling back at him, arranging my skirt around me as I sank back into the velveteen cushions. I knew he wanted to sit next to Wufei, just as I knew he didn't want me sitting next to Wufei. No outside influences on his boy, chortled my snide little internal voice.
That same low lighting made it possible to look at the programs, but nearly impossible to read them. I squinted and thumbed through the program to find something - anything - first, that I could actually read, and second, that was written in the common language. I couldn't find a single thing. Nothing. Not even the advertisements - everything was written in Italian.
I tried to look over at Wufei to remark to him about that, and found that I couldn't even see him, much less say anything to him. Treize was in the way. And there was something about Treize that evening, too - the way the light and shadows played across his face at that instant - to my overwrought imagination, it made him look godlike, possibly; frightening, definitely; but I couldn't pinpoint exactly why. I only knew that I wanted to run as far away from him as I could; unfortunately, that conflicted rather badly with my instinct to stay as close to Wufei as I possibly could.
No worries, chortled my evil sense of humor. Treize isn't going to let you go, so you and Wufei will always be together. Remember?
"Do you know this opera, Sally?"
Breathing faster, I ignored that nasty voice in my head; in fact, I decided that any voice, whether or not it was my own, was going to be ignored if it was unsolicited. "I'm really not familiar with it," I replied, pleased that my own voice wasn't shaking at all. It certainly felt like it should.
"Ah, well - this opera, my dear, Sally, involved the adventures of a young, Don Juan-like man, who receives his just due at the end when the father of a bride he seduced comes back from the dead to judge him."
I blinked. "My - that sounds a bit drastic."
"Oh, it is - but fully deserved. My dear, in the first scene alone, you will see Don Giovanni compromising that bride on her wedding day."
"No one was there to help her? She was left alone with him on her wedding day?"
"She was not 'left alone.' You will see what happens. Suffice it to say you will be pleased, I think, by the 'justice' meted out." Treize gave a dark chuckle, looking at me and settling back in his chair.
I nodded at him, feeling a little unsure, as the overture began and the house lights were dimmed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He was right. The story, while a sordid tale of treachery and debauchery, was engaging. I cared about Donna Anna, the poor woman Giovanni pursued, and felt badly for Donna Elvira, the woman he had previously seduced and abandoned. She was trying to protect other innocents from her fate as best she could, even though she was still in love with Giovanni.
And Giovanni - ah, he was handsome, cunning and utterly merciless. His lustful desires and complete disregard for anyone except himself left a trail of heartbreak and shattered dreams as wide as his ego.
Every seat in the opera house was filled, hanging on every nuanced syllable from each performers' lips. The mood in the second act became darker; warnings and hints of judgment coming to Don Giovanni if he did not repent, and hints of a supernatural - something - involved in all of this.
I was vaguely aware that Treize was whispering to Wufei a little during some parts of the opera. That wasn't terribly disturbing, though; and he had been whispering to me as well during the first act, explaining some parts that had been confusing. It was a little frustrating that I still couldn't see Wufei, so I had no idea if he was enjoying the opera, or just tolerating it, or was still hunched over in his chair.
And ... well ... the wine at dinner made me sleepy. I felt very warm and comfortable; it was dark in the box, and as all the lighting was fixed right at the stage, it was easy to close my eyes and just follow along with the music. I had a pretty good idea of what was happening, anyway, and I wasn't falling asleep. At least, that's what I told myself.
I was, however, very aware of my surroundings. Very aware of sitting next to Treize, of all people, and near Wufei. Aware of how weird that actually was, but how natural it felt. I wasn't touching him, but I knew Treize's body was next to mine; it felt warm and comfortable. It was an odd sensation, but ... I liked it. I could even identify his smell. It was masculine, somehow, even though it was tinged with the scent of roses; indescribably sensual; just pleasant enough to be sleepily arousing.
The music continued, now spiraling down, its theme becoming darker and more serious. My eyes were closed, and I imagined I understood the entire story - but it changed again, signaling Don Giovanni's last chance at repentance. A bass voice, following a hypnotic rhythm, tolled the Don's name as if in damnation, promising awful consequences if he did not repent.
At the same time, a weird image seared across my mind - an image that made no sense in any context at all, save one I didn't want to contemplate. As the chorus came in, still in that rhythm and still in the same minor key, the image became clearer -
- it was Treize, leaning over Wufei as a large predator leans over its prey before devouring it. This time, though, he wasn't devouring Wufei - he was kissing Wufei.
Deeply. And his hands were ... everywhere ... oh, gods, they were everywhere ... and Wufei was -
I started awake, my eyelids flying open, gasping, in time to hear Giovanni scream and to see demons drop from the rafters of the house into the scenery below. At the same time, a frantic, begging Giovanni was dragged off into the raging inferno to meet his fate.
Whirling, I stared over at Treize. He was sitting next to me, calmly watching the performance, his attention riveted to the stage below.
He wasn't kissing Wufei. He was watching the performance. I was going crazy. I raised my hand to my cheek - it felt hot and flushed, and my heart was racing. Right before dinner, I thought I was coming down with something, too - the room had gone out of focus for a moment or two. Well, this cinches it. I was getting sick. Some kind of flu. That had to be it.
I looked from the stage, to Treize, and back to the stage again. The last thing I saw on the stage was Giovanni's servant struck down; then I heard two final long chords that sounded like death knells - and only at that point was the curtain dropped.
This was SO not like the Mozart I listened to in the past. I sat there for a moment, blinking, stunned by the performance and that - that waking dream, if that's what it was...
The audience, on the other hand, erupted into wild applause, shouting 'Bravo!' and 'Encore!' I joined in when I saw that I would be the odd person out, not applauding at all. Again, I tried to see what Wufei was doing, but Treize was square in the way, so ... no such luck.
"Are you ready to go?" Treize bent down and searched my eyes, smiling.
"Ah ... yes, I believe I am," I replied, caught off guard, still looking for Wufei. Of course I was ready. I'd BEEN ready.
Treize offered me his hand and led me out of the box. I turned and finally saw Wufei; he was hunched in his chair, more so than when we arrived. He stood and followed us, not looking at me.
A small, narrow back stairway was directly across from our box; we did not wait for the elevator this time. No one else was around, either. It was easy to glide down the steps, across a small foyer and out the back door, right into the waiting limousine. I slipped into the limo first, Wufei moved in next to me, and Treize slipped in last.
"Home, please," Treize ordered, thumbing down the intercom switch.
I turned to Wufei, about to ask him a question, and stopped. Blinking slowly several times, I inhaled - and noticed that he smelled like ... like roses. Just like Treize. He looked sleepy; his cheeks were slightly flushed; he looked very pretty, and was obviously tired.
"Did you like the performance, Wufei?" I wanted to start a conversation, any conversation with him, just to see if he would answer me. I wondered if he had slept through the second act.
After a moment, Wufei breathed deeply and shifted next to me, as if he needed to wake himself up to answer. "Yes. It was one of the better ones I've heard."
"Best of the six, hmmm?" Treize laughed softly.
Wufei shrugged, flushing a little.
I narrowed my eyes at Treize, then turned back to Wufei. "That's a wonderful start, Wufei," I said, trying to encourage him. "What else have you heard?"
"Treize took me to see Madame Butterfly, Die Zauberflote, Die Frau Onno Schaunen, The Barber of Seville, and The Marriage of Figaro."
"That's quite an assortment," I nodded, thinking. "And you said you enjoyed this one more than the others. It certainly had interesting themes ..." I left that sentence unfinished, waiting to see if he would complete it.
"I think ... in a way, although the Strauss opera was much more developed. I prefer that to all this Mozart. But of the Mozart, yes, I enjoyed this the best."
I opened my mouth to ask him another question when I felt the car slow down and swerve slightly to the right. High piers and the outline of a ship in the darkness showed we had arrived at the dock. The limo rolled to a stop next to several uniformed men.
"We've arrived, sir," the driver announced over the intercom.
"Ah, excellent. Everyone out, please!"
The door opened, as if on cue. A gloved hand reached in to help me to my feet; cool, tangy sea air brushed my cheek and nose as I walked onto the main part of the dock.
"Thank you," I murmured to the doorman as he smiled and leaned in to assist Wufei. He totally ignored the doorman's hand - in fact, he scowled at him, rejecting his assistance as he climbed out of the limo.
Good. That was the Wufei I knew.
We stood on the dock and watched the limo pull away. Sighing, I turned toward the ship, and noticed that Treize was already at the top of the gangplank, speaking to someone I couldn't quite identify.
"Wufei - Wufei?"
"Hmm?" He looked at me, vague and puzzled.
I took his arm and started walking on the gangplank, bringing him along with me. "Wufei, what's wrong? You don't seem like yourself at all."
He looked lost, and shook his head. "I ... don't entirely know."
We walked for a few more moments in silence; I looked up, and saw that Treize wasn't at the top of the gangplank, but Une was.
As soon as I looked at her, my head started to throb. Anyone but Une - it could have been anyone but Une. That woman never liked me at all, and she certainly had no love for Wufei, either. I sighed again, loud enough for Wufei to look up at me, then look in front of us. When he saw Une, his eyes narrowed and he stiffened, pulling his arm away from my grip. We stopped several paces away from her.
Glaring at both of us, she spit out, "Lord Treize has commended that I inform you of the extra bedrooms on deck. Because of a small local storm, we will be taking a longer route home. There are changes of clothes in your bedrooms. This way, please." She immediately swung around and started to march off across the deck, a little windup soldier.
Wufei and I looked at each other, shrugged, and walked after her.
"Small local storm? How large is this storm, Lady Une?" I called after her.
"Not big. We will be steering around it. Coming to the island from the other side, for safety."
"Oh." I started calculating ... it took about three hours over ... and then we would need to add another couple hours to our normal travel time ....
"Lord Treize is laying down and sleeping now, and suggested that you do the same."
"Sleeping?" Wufei blinked, then snorted. "I thought he never slept."
Une swung around and favored him with her Glare of Doom. Wufei kept walking, and gave her his Glare of Doom.
I simply rolled my eyes at both of them and kept walking. After another few moments of awkward silence, I asked, "Are our cabins next to each other?"
"No. Yours is here." She turned and pointed to a small stateroom door, obviously feeling no obligation to open it for me.
"Ah ... and ... Wufei is -"
"This way." She tossed her head and marched down the corridor, back straight as a ramrod; in fact, it looked as if someone stuck a ramrod DOWN her back.
Looking uncomfortable, Wufei shrugged and said, "See you in a bit?"
I nodded, feeling uneasy. "Yes, please, Wufei. Please come back and see me." I watched Wufei walk down the corridor after Une, and an odd thought entered my mind:
His room might be near Treize's.
Yeah. That was not a nice thought at all.
Breathing a little faster, I ducked back into my room and decided to change as quickly as I could. Wufei and I needed to talk about things very soon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wufei and I were right behind Treize as he strode across the deck, down the gangplank and into the waiting limousine. He opened the door and waved us in, smiling. I moved all the way to the opposite side of the car, mindful of my skirt; Wufei climbed in next and scooted next to me; and Treize slid in last. I heard the door slam, immediately blocking out all extraneous sounds. Tension literally drained away from my shoulders as I leaned back in the seat, exhausted. It was a small physical pleasure simply to sit back, close my eyes, breathe deeply and relax.
As the limousine purred away from dock, it was with a curious sense of relief that I opened my eyes, looked out the window and watched the scenery of the port and downtown rush past. Now, finally, there were just the three of us. I knew it shouldn't feel as good as it did, but for some reason, I couldn't help myself. It DID feel right and it DID feel good and ....
The coolness of the window against my cheek made me realize how hard I was pressing my head against the glass. Gods, what was wrong with me? My feet were throbbing and my face felt flushed, but so what? They weren't excuses to feel comfortable; Treize was here, and he was the man who took away my freedom and Wufei's freedom. Plus, he had just thrown both of us to the wolves on that hideous, never ending cruise from the island to Naples with hardly a backwards look. We were lucky to have survived with our skin intact, because he certainly didn't interfere; in fact, he invited the wolves to attack.
Now I was angry again.
No, no, that was explained, my dear - remember? remarked that strange inner voice. And as for the former, you knew that could happen when you chose to be a vigilante. Consequences always follow your choices.
I blinked and slumped back into my seat, strangely deflated. It was true - not couched in words that I would have used, but true, all the same. I didn't consider myself to be a vigilante, though - I didn't. Really, I didn't.
I sighed and stared out the window again. Naples might have been gorgeous, but I didn't see it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After a short time, Treize spoke. "We are going to a lovely Italian restaurant for dinner; naturally, I should say. You don't want to eat Chinese here," he added lightly.
Wufei hunched his shoulders together, making himself a very tight, contained ball, his face hard and expressionless.
I laughed involuntarily. "Ah .. no. I suppose not."
Treize smiled and leaned back. Wufei hunched even more.
I took a deep breath and tilted my head forward, just enough to see him past Wufei. "Ah ... will we be doing much walking?"
"No," he replied, glancing over at me. He seemed to think a moment, and then actually appeared to blush a little. "Sally, I'm sorry. How thoughtless of me ... your shoes -"
Wufei, too, glanced at my feet and started to flush a bit.
"Oh - well. That's all right, Treize. As long as I don't have to walk several miles, I'll be fine." I smiled, trying to put a good spin on it. My feet hurt, but as long as I didn't have to walk very far, they would be fine. They had been in worse shape during the war, to be sure; although walking in high heels today was akin to walking with pieces of burning coals between my toes.
"You will not," he assured me, smiling back.
I nodded gratefully, sinking back into the seat. "Ah. That's good, then."
Wufei wasn't responding to anything at all. I bent my head and looked at him, concerned.
"Wufei ... are you all right?" I kept my voice pitched low, only for his ears.
"Un," he responded, shrugging.
"Wufei," Treize started gently, putting his hand on Wufei's knee.
Wufei turned on him with all the viciousness of a viper. "How DARE you touch me!" he exploded in fury, slapping Treize's hand away.
"Wufei, please calm down. I meant no -"
"Don't you TOUCH me! EVER!"
A heavy, dead silence permeated the car. I was stunned, shocked, pulled back as far as I could into my corner of the limo. A still, small voice reminded me that this is how I wanted Wufei to react, because Treize really shouldn't be touching him at all; while another part of me was terribly confused because Treize was preparing Wufei for freedom, and shouldn't he at least be grateful?
Gads. My head hurt. I just came from two hours of this kind of angry, vehement behavior. Was this necessary? Did he have to scream at Treize right in front of me?
They sat, looking into each other's eyes, silent for a long moment.
"Are you finished?" Treize asked, his voice soft.
" ... yes," Wufei answered, settling back,sulking. He drew his arms around himself, his body language very tight, and refused to look at Treize. Or me, for that matter.
In my case that was good, as I couldn't look at him, either. I felt guilty - I was angry at him and I knew that was wrong. How could I be so terribly selfish, more worried about my own comfort than his bodily integrity?
Treize glanced at Wufei once more, completely disapproving, then settled back.
The rest of the journey was made in uncomfortable silence.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The restaurant - a low, Mediterranean style building in adobe brick, earthen tones and red tile roof - was a welcome sight. I nearly bolted out of the back seat; fortunately, several uniformed valets leaped to open the door on my side. I scooted out quickly and stood next to the limo, glad to be out of that stifling atmosphere.
Treize strode around from the other side with a weary smile, looking very grand and noble as Wufei climbed out of the limo. He glared up at Treize and snorted, then turned his back on the general, straightened his shoulders and stomped off into the restaurant.
I watched him go, not quite believing what I just saw. And again, part of me cheered for him being so rude, while another part was aghast as such obviously poor behavior.
Not now. Please, not again. My mind can't take this, I groaned as he disappeared through the arched doorway. He's right, and -
"I can dress him up, but I can't take him out?"
I snapped out of my reverie and looked up at Treize. "Well - we've all had quite a lot of excitement today."
"Yes." Treize sighed as he offered his arm to me. "But I had hoped he was more ready for this."
I took his arm and fell into step with him; naturally, it seemed. "I'm sure he is ready, Treize. It's simply trying, being around so many people." I smiled at him. "Much different when the number is fewer, you know."
"Mmmm ... you know, I think you're right." He led me inside and sighed once, looking satisfied. "I am - quite relieved. You are correct, of course, my dear Sally."
He nodded at the maitre'd at the foyer and walked through the archway and into the restaurant proper. It was a lovely, quiet, Italian restaurant, with a small fountain in the middle. Very discreet, in that there were few tables in the main dining area, and those that were were screened by foliage. Wufei was already seated at a table; apparently, he knew which one was ours and was waiting for us, scowling.
I looked up at Treize and smiled. Would he tell me anything about the former generals and ladies from the ship? "I'm surprised the rest of the party didn't choose to come here for dinner - it's so pleasant."
He snorted softly and gave me a small, sidelong grin. "THEY were not invited."
"Oh ... I see." Ah hah. Exactly what I thought. He's not going to tell me a damn thing.
Treize settled me in a chair next to Wufei, then took his seat on Wufei's opposite side. "I suggest the tortellini alla fungi, with sundried tomatoes and cream sauce," he said without preamble, picking up and then glancing at the menu. "In the mood for veal, Wufei?"
Wufei hissed at Treize through bared teeth, "I will accept no meat from you."
At that, Treize burst into laughter. "If I didn't know any better, Wufei, I'd say you were insinuating something sexual in that statement."
Now I was sure my life had turned the corner from the real into the surreal. My eyes grew wide with shock; hopefully, though, I was keeping my face carefully neutral, not giving any of my true feelings away.
Wufei, though, was not as successful. He was frozen in place, staring at Treize, while his face did a slow burn, turning beet red from the neck up.
Treize was still chuckling. "Then you won't have the veal. I DO want you to have some protein, though ... hm. Chicken? or seafood?"
And that voice - not MY voice, but that other voice I couldn't ignore spoke again:
~~... I COULD have said fish ... heh, heh ... ~~
I started breathing faster again; this wasn't funny. I wanted to ignore it; and I knew that I could ignore it NOW, but something told me it wasn't always going to be that way.
It didn't matter. I could do it now, and that's what mattered. Right. Now. This. Instant. Gads...
"Crab." Wufei leaned back in his chair, literally about an inch more than before, still extremely red.
"Alfredo?"
" ... yes." He was definitely shrinking now, not looking at Treize.
"Fine. Crab alfredo it is. And you, Sally? What would you like?"
"Ah .. well ..." I hadn't been paying attention to the menu at all. Now I looked over at Treize, and found his startlingly blue gaze locked on mine. It was so powerful that the room appeared to dim, go out of focus ...
"Shrimp with angelhair pasta? Or penne pasta? I would suggest the morrell mushrooms -"
Gods, it was easy, so easy just to see his eyes and nothing else, almost a drifting feeling. There was something so odd, so strange in the way I felt - and there was nothing I could do. I wanted to tear my gaze away, but I couldn't; and after a while, even that desire left until all I could do was drift, and drift ...
"Excellent." Fluent Italian and the snap of a menu brought me back to the present, looking down at a lovely place setting, wondering exactly where I was and what had happened. I glanced up in time to see a waiter happily bowing to Treize; both of them were talking and laughing, speaking fluent Italian. Glancing over at Wufei didn't give me much of a clue, either. He was fascinated by whatever was on his plate; his head was down and he was NOT looking up, no matter what.
Gods. I must be coming down with something. Looking for a waterglass, I found and clutched a finely spun, excellent piece of stemware filled with water, ice and a wedge of lemon. Raising it to my lips, I looked across the table and met Treize's eyes. Now they looked normal, that beautiful, clear, sky blue color.
I blinked. Of course they were normal, you ninny. What did you expect?
"So, Sally," he started pleasantly, "did anyone tell you what opera we were going to see?"
And at the same time he was speaking to me, yet another voice - this one very different than that first voice, and definitely not mine - mumbled in my head like a staticky radio station, with only a few words coming through clearly:
~~... inhabited ...... inhuman ... question of ... ... demon ... ... and Seiryuu's child ......~~
I stared at him and blinked, trying to focus on exactly what that other voice was saying. "Ah ... ex - excuse me?"
Treize raised an inquiring eyebrow.
Oh gods, that wasn't good. Recover, Sally, and do it fast. I forced myself to smile weakly at him. "Ah, I'm sorry. You did mention it was Don Giovanni, but I didn't have an opportunity to read the libretto."
He inclined his head a little in gracious understanding. "That's quite all right, Sally. You'll have time to read the synopsis before it begins. Wine?" He held a bottle out for cursory inspection. "It's '89 ... not a bad year."
"Why, yes, thank you."
~~... non human ... much more than human ...~~
He smiled and poured me barely half a glass, then poured some for himself and some for Wufei. I sighed and sipped at it; as usual, he was correct; it was a nice wine, flavorful, good for the table. Wufei, on the other hand, was regarding his glass as if it was a reptile with two heads.
"Wufei. You can drink it," Treize said lightly, watching him over the rim of his glass.
Wufei blinked at Treize, then at the wineglass, then back at Treize.
"Wufei. Try it." To encourage him I took a sip of my own wine. "It's good. Not terribly sweet, either. I think you'll like it."
He stared at his wineglass, as if in shock. If Treize had handed him a toad on a dinner plate, he couldn't have been more surprised.
I tried to relax in my chair, at least a little, when I heard that voice fade in and out again in my mind - and THIS time I was quite sure I heard it. There was no mistaking what it said:
~~... bathroom ... .... Duo ... a dress ...~~
Looking down in my lap, now at least I knew what I had to do; and I had a fair idea of what had been happening, which gave me a great sense of relief. There was nothing mysterious here, nothing supernatural. There must have been a transmitter somewhere close to my chair, keyed to my cellphone, and I was simply picking up the signals.
Fine. More than fine - it was excellent. Because the OTHER ideas I had been considering were pretty fantastic. And not in the good sense.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Treize - ah - would you excuse me, please, for a few moments?" I rose from my seat and placed my napkin on my chair, taking my small clutch with me. "I believe ... the ladies' room is near the entrance ...?"
He raised his eyebrow at me again, but rose to his feet politely. "Of course, Sally. Hurry back, please - our meal will arrive soon."
I avoided his gaze; he always seemed to know whenever I was lying, and I didn't want to deal with that now. "Yes, Treize, I will. Thank you."
As I glided between the tables in the main dining room, that voice prodded me on my way:
~~... demon ...~~
I tried my best to insure that I didn't look as though I was hurrying to leave the dining room, but as soon as I was in the foyer, I scanned for the ladies' room as quickly as I could. Once I found it, I literally sailed into it, praying it was empty. My prayers were answered - it was, except for -
- a French maid? Gods, I looked for Duo, and the only person there was this little cute little French maid with long chestnut hair and a short black dress, cleaning the counter. She had black stockings, great legs, heels higher than mine, a white apron, and when she turned around, she -
I gasped. And then snickered.
Duo scowled at me. "Don't you DARE say a word. They wouldn't hire me over at the San Carlo, and Trowa said you were going to come here for dinner, so .... anyway. You have about five minutes, right?"
I sobered immediately. "Yes, you're probably right. Five minutes tops. Can you lock this door?"
"Not without protests - but we gotcha covered."
He pulled a small key from a ruffled pocked and unlocked the closet door.
"In you go!" he beamed, waving me through the door.
The closet was huge, and had an enormous amount of supplies, including a bench in the back with a small light.
I switched the light on before he closed and locked the door. "You have great legs for this kind of work," I commented with a straight face.
Duo gave me a decidedly ungrateful glare from under long, thick eyelashes.
Obviously fake, snickered my inner voice.
"We don't have long." He dug into the pocket of his uniform again and handed me a small blue tab, about the size of an aspirin. "Clip this to your bra, or something. It'll stay. It's a tracking device."
I nodded and took it from him, surprised to find my hands were shaking a little. They didn't feel like they were shaking, but - there you go. Get into the spy business, and lots of things can surprise you. "Why do you need me to wear this?" I asked as I attached it, turning away from him a little.
"We didn't make it a transmitter, because that's too easy to pick up. And ... well. We don't know exactly where that island is. I mean - I was there, and all, but I was unconscious when I got there, and underwater when I left. Same with Heero. Quatre knows, but we can't get to him anymore."
"Why not?"
Duo gave me a weak smile, shrugging. "His sisters found him. Locked him up. 'For his own good,' you see. And being Quatre, he ... didn't fight. Could've, but - didn't."
I groaned. "What about Sandrock?"
He shook his head. "They didn't get Sandrock - we got him covered."
"Well ... at least you have the gundam. That's good, I guess." I rallied a little. "Listen. Did you know there was a big dinner meeting here today? All the movers and shakers of OZ are at it, except for Treize. I don't know where they went, though."
Duo blinked at me, which given his current costume, looked really cute. "A ... dinner meeting? No, we didn't."
"Eh ... well, the bartender on the ship said ALL those people were going to the same place. One restaurant. And they were all planning something tonight. I dunno, though." I frowned, considering it a little more. "It could've been a trap - some kind of setup to see if I passed on information to anyone, too."
"Nobody's sent us anything." Duo scowled. "We got a couple of insiders, but - everybody's scared to DO anything now that the war's 'lost.' LOST. Yeah, right." He snarled the last word, angry.
I was angry, too. "We can't just sit here, Duo. But I can't even tell you how reliable my information is."
"It's okay," he said, soothing. "You got that much, and you know we're with you." He sighed, looking at the door. "You probably can't stay here that much longer."
"No. I don't think I can." I already felt anxious, looking past him to the door.
"Listen, Sall, it'll be all right. Trowa said he had some way to talk to you. Said something weird about your lineage. I dunno what that means. Just go with it - and scoot, before you get in trouble."
I felt the blood drain from my face. "Was that ... oh. Listen, Duo, ask Trowa when you see him - what did he mean when he said 'demon?' I mean, I heard him and all, and it's an apt description for what's going on, but really-"
Duo gave me a funny look. "I didn't mean NOW, Sall. Trowa's in France. Dunno what you heard, but he's nowhere near here. Now get going! You'll get us caught!"
I stared at him, not understanding. "What - what do you mean, he's in France ... I heard him - that's why I'm here -"
Duo didn't respond. He pushed me toward the door with one hand, opened the door with the other and leaned around the doorframe, making sure the bathroom was empty before shoving me into the middle of the room.
"And flush the toilet - they can hear that in the kitchen!"
I moved into one of the stalls, did as I was told, then went to the sink. With a sigh I washed my hands, adjusted my gown, patted my hair and left the bathroom, leaving the maid cleaning the mirrors.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Steaming angelhair pasta with shrimp was waiting for me as I slipped into my seat at the table, smiling at both Wufei and Treize. Wufei definitely seemed more relaxed; one look at his wineglass told the tale.
"Enjoy, Sally," Treize said with a wave of his hand at my meal. Both Treize and Wufei were halfway through their meals.
"Thank you - it looks lovely." And actually, it looked and smelled wonderful. I started eating, slowly - and it tasted delicious.
Treize poured more wine for Wufei, earning him a strange look.
"More, Treize?" Wufei asked, eyeing his glass with suspicion.
Treize shrugged a little. "You seemed to like it."
Snorting, Wufei eyed the glass a little more. "It is ... odd."
"Very." Treize continued eating, not looking up.
"Very odd." Wufei sounded contemplative, as if he was trying to make up his mind. He shook his head and went back to eating, every now and then glancing back at the glass.
The rest of the meal, brief as it was, proceeded without incident. Treize refilled my wineglass a little more, and Wufei's; we murmured and passed the bread basket to each other politely; but other than that, we had no other conversation.
"Would either of you care for dessert?" Treize asked, looking from Wufei to me. "Our time does grown short, but ..."
"Ah - no, thank you, Treize - not for me," I replied, putting my fork down and dabbing my napkin at my mouth. It would have been nice to drink more wine, but I wasn't going to make a fuss.
"Then if you are both finished ...?"
I rose from my seat and looked over at Wufei. He frowned thoughtfully at his plate, looking extremely relaxed - in fact, I realized that he was slouching in chair, something that was completely uncharacteristic for him. Amused, I wondered exactly how much wine he'd actually had.
Treize rose as well. I looked from Treize to Wufei. "Wufei," I asked, keeping my voice pitched low, "are you ready to leave?"
He looked up at me in mild surprise. "Yes, I am," he replied, standing and blinking. I tried not to snicker as I watched him cat-stretch his back.
"Come with me, my friends," Treize said, offering me his arm again. I smiled up at him and took it, falling into step with him again as he led me through the restaurant, past the bowing maitre'd and out to the sidewalk.
Sultry, warm air surrounded us as we strolled from the restaurant to the theater - and fortunately for my feet, it wasn't very far. I glanced behind to see Wufei following us. Presenting a moody picture, he trailed behind, looking at the sidewalk as he ambled along, his hands in his pockets, deep in thought.
"Well, as you know, we will be seeing Mozart's Don Giovanni." Treize broke the silence and smiled down at me, charming as ever.
"Ah - Mozart is wonderful!" I replied, beaming. "I truly enjoy his music."
"I don't, but his operas are lovely. Much darker than the rest, you know. I do not enjoy most of Mozart's music. It's ... well." Treize favored me with an embarrassed, almost flirty smile. "It's so ... happy. I find it to be very untrue to life."
I shrugged and glanced up at him. "Well, I suppose that's true - but not all of life is dark. There are some bright moments, too. You can't have one without the other; everything needs to be in balance."
"But his music, with the exception of the operas and the requiem, of course, is almost perpetually bright. I cannot blame him; it was the period, after all. Even the architecture was airy."
I nodded. "Quite a bit different from the gothic style of the previous centuries."
"Mmm. And from the turmoil that came after it - but what could one expect? The Age of Rationalism had removed God, and they had not thought to replace him with something else."
In very many ways, it was easy to talk with Treize. Well - perhaps too easy, as I found myself saying more than I meant to say. Then again, I wasn't saying anything I didn't truly believe, so why should I lie? And we weren't discussing the war, or troop positions, or the resistance, so I didn't see any danger in what I was doing.
An odd thought ran across my mind - he never asked me any questions about my involvement with the resistance. Wasn't that ... strange? Wouldn't he want to know? It felt weird - but I needed to push those questions to some other part of my mind, to be examined later. Right now there were other things demanding my attention.
First - Treize was looking right at me, expecting some kind of response. It wasn't good to keep him waiting; he tended to get snippier when that happened, even if accidental. Second - that off-the-cuff comment sounded vaguely familiar. I was fairly certain he used that in a speech several months ago; and if that was true, then I was being had again. Hmm ... I didn't like that.
Tilting my head, I raised one eyebrow and asked, deliberately skeptical, "And what do you believe people have currently put in place of God? Themselves?"
"Well. That's all that's left, isn't it?"
"You know, I'm not sure I agree at all. Even if one did not believe in 'God' in the traditional sense, there is always the problem of the 'divine spark.'"
As I gazed up at Treize, I belatedly realized that he thoroughly enjoyed people disagreeing with him. He thinks it's invigorating - and he LIKES it. And I just walked right into it, I thought, grinding my teeth. Gods, I did it again. I am such a moron.
Treize laughed softly and patted my hand. "Indeed. And how do you define that, Sally?" He looked straight into my eyes, his blue eyes sparkling and appealing, appearing very interested in what I had to say, waiting for me to speak.
"Ah ... well." I glanced at the park on my left, gathering my thoughts, frowning a little. Lush, verdant trees and grass gave a picture perfect background for the last rays of sunlight to just shimmer through the branches and skim the edges of some leaves and grass with gold fire. Looking at that picture helped me think.
"I mean - something had to start the process. I'm not sure I'm explaining this adequately, but life had to spring from somewhere. You could argue it was always here, and man is simply another manifestation of it - but even in that case, man can't claim to take the place of God."
"Very good, Sally. There is simply too much order in the universe for it to have come from chance. Order cannot come from chaos."
"And man did not impose a structure on the universe."
"Absolutely true, except for one question. 'Replace' God, Sally? Perhaps that isn't necessary. Perhaps God isn't even active with man at all, my dear. He has not been for a very long time."
"But - wait - didn't you say that the Age of Rationalism had removed God?"
He smiled down at me. "Let us say that in the Age of Rationalism, man realized that he neither needed God nor proof of His existence. Of course, as you said, something had to get everything started; I am quite convinced of that. However, I rather think He didn't bother with us afterward, don't you?"
"Well, that's certainly one viewpoint," I replied, raising my eyebrow at him.
An eloquent shrug rippled across his shoulders. "And you see evidence of Him ... where, Sally? Aside from that which stems from creation directly, that is."
He was leading me toward an old, restored stone building, several stories tall,with Moorish arches on the first story and Corinthian columns gracing the second. Structures like this were common in this part of Naples, but none were as tastefully understated as the San Carlo opera house.
I glanced behind, and noticed that Wufei was indeed taking his time as he meandered along. "I suppose you could say that which makes us human could be a manifestation of ... but that's difficult to define."
"Correct. It seems to me, Sally," Treize said as he bowed me through one of the large, Moorish arches, "that man is simply autonomous - and to attempt to live according to a God whom no one really sees or experiences is foolish and an excuse."
I gave him an odd look. "But - live according to God in what way?"
He shrugged. "No one seems to know, do they?"
"Do you mean morality?"
"Everyone has holy books, holy prophets, holy law ... saa, Sally, it's not very practical." Treize paused for a moment, looking behind me, his eyebrows drawn together in a slight frown. "Wufei - hurry up, please," he called, raising his voice slightly. "I have his ticket, you see," he explained, lowering his voice again, smiling a little.
"Oh ... I see." I thought for a moment, watching Wufei take his time. "Wait. Do you mean conventional morality is not practical?"
"Conventional to whom, Sally?"
"Ah." I glanced up at him, then looked out at Wufei again.
He leaned toward me, smiling but insistent."I know you understand me, but that is not the point. I would like an answer - conventional to whom? For example," he continued casually, "Wufei's culture views virginity as something to be protected at all costs - and yet, I think you will have to admit our own does not. Whose is correct?"
I frowned, feeling my face get warm. "Are you saying that morality is purely cultural? That, depending upon where you're born, you're inculcated with a certain - ah - 'morality script,' for lack of a better phrase?"
"Of course not. After all, morality is TAUGHT. What child, without instruction, knows it is 'wrong' to steal, or to hit? Or to claim things not its own AS its own?"
"Yes, but some things are not explicitly taught. Many things are learned simply by observation, and -"
"Saa, but that is just another form of teaching. If you took a child - let it grow up without being SHOWN these things - would it not act simply as it did as an infant? Selfish?"
Finally Wufei drifted up to us, glancing at Treize as he wandered up the steps.
"Are you assuming that the infant grew without observing or interacting with anyone else?" I asked, looking at him incredulously.
"I am merely saying this, my dear Sally." Treize held the door open for Wufei and me, ushering us both inside. "Whether you learn by observation or simply by being taught, the fact is that morality is learned - it is not innate. That means it can be shaped for the betterment of Man as a whole. Its purpose is that, after all, ne?"
We strolled across the foyer with the rest of the crowd. It was as breathtaking inside as it was outside; the San Carlo opera house lived up to its reputation, rivaling La Scala in looks and beauty. Its acoustics were legendary, even after the fires and the many renovations it had undergone; however, all that was lost on Wufei and I, as we now were staring at Treize in unsettled surprise.
"If morality can be shaped in one way," I started slowly, "... then ... it can certainly be shaped in others."
"Absolutely," Treize agreed.
I stared at him for a beat. "Warped, in fact."
"Hence, why it is essential that it is done carefully. Think of the book Oliver Twist. Have you read that classic, Sally?"
"Yes. Years ago."
"Fagan's - 'children.' Did any of them see anything wrong with lying? Stealing? With, in general, breaking all the laws they could?"
I hesitated. "Well ... no. Because of their circumstances, they believed they were entitled to get whatever they could -"
"Of course. That would be an example of being ... poorly taught."
He stopped speaking for a moment as we approached the main body of people waiting in line to be seated in the orchestra section. We stopped walking; Treize smiled and leaned down toward us, speaking quietly again, his hand still on my arm.
"To my mind, the point of morality is to make society livable. But, as you say, what happens when you have a clash of 'moralities?' Then one must decide what is best for man as a whole. Your freedom fighting is the perfect example."
I stared up at him, my eyes widening in response. What exactly was he trying to say? Treize glanced down at me, patted my hand, then looked over my head and spoke to someone in flawless Italian.
"Si, signore. Follow me, please."
I turned and looked behind me. There was a dark haired young man, an employee of the opera house, beckoning for us to follow him across the foyer and into a bank of gold-edged elevators. We hurried over to join him; he bowed and motioned for us to enter the elevator before him.
Wufei hung back again, his hands in his pockets, not looking up. Treize glanced down at him, put his right hand in the middle of Wufei's back and moved him inside the elevator. Wufei jumped, then settled down. I watched the elevator operator glance at Treize, then at Wufei, then back at Treize again. Heaving a small sigh, he nodded once, pulled a key out of his jacket pocket, inserted it into a panel and turned it clockwise. A slight jarring sensation shimmered through my legs; the doors closed and we started to climb.
The ride was smooth and silent. Treize kept his hand on Wufei's back, quiet and possessive. Wufei no longer seemed to notice - he was back to being pensive. I turned my head and pulled away, feeling totally useless. Really, if Wufei wasn't going to complain, how could I?
"Your floor, sir."
The elevator operator bowed to us as he opened the door and let us out. Snicking quietly behind us, the doors closed and the elevator went back down to the lower level, the floor rumbling underneath our feet.
"This way." Treize strode directly across the carpeted hall to a curtained doorway, leading both Wufei and me to one of the private boxes. He pulled the curtain back, allowing Wufei to go in first.
"I do enjoy Nicolas, the young man who escorted us here," Treize said calmly to me, barring my way as I tried to follow Wufei into the box, "but he's gay, and has no qualms about making himself available to people he finds attractive." Gently, he added, "I rather thought Wufei would not react well, so I attempted to make boundaries clear - you see?"
"Ah - I - believe so. Wufei didn't seem to notice, either." I blinked, looking up at him, realizing that Wufei didn't seem to notice Treize's hand OR Nicolas' interest. In fact, Wufei hardly seemed to notice anything at all.
Treize nodded at me. "I'd prefer it that way. Such innocence is hard to find these days. After you." He bowed his head at me, smiling.
I smiled back at him and went to the entrance, squinting, trying to see Wufei inside. Immediately, that voice - the staticky one from the restaurant - mumbled in my head again, clearer this time:
~~...did that ... so you would see he has WHYS for everything he does ... and to try to tell you his reasons are GOOD ...~~
Shocked and not believing what I just thought I heard, I stumbled over to the seats in the box, then twisted around to see the general follow me.
Treize stepped inside. He was momentarily silhouetted against the bright light of the hallway, emphasizing the breadth of his shoulders and the way he had to stoop and turn sideways to move though the doorway. My breath caught in my throat; he appeared huge, enormous. And when he drew the curtain and effectively cut the three of us off from the rest of the world - gods, I thought I stopped breathing altogether. It might have been irrational, but I felt surrounded, imprisoned; trapped, with no way out.
Fortunately when I turned around, I saw our box overlooked both the stage and the orchestra, opening toward the rest of the house. I sighed in relief; that claustrophobic feeling constricting my chest loosened its grip. Our seats were in a box near the curtain on the third level, fairly high from the main floor. It gave us an excellent view of the entire stage.
The San Carlo had the reputation of being the oldest working theater in Europe, and was rumored to be Rosinni's favorite. I could certainly see why; the stage was a beautiful, meticulously constructed proscenium stage, and the house itself was in pristine condition.
My eyes adjusted to the low light. Wufei sat in one large chair on the left; there were two empty chairs on his right. Treize walked behind me and put his arm around my waist, guiding me to the large chair on the extreme right, while he took the empty chair in the middle.
"Please?" he asked with a smile.
"Oh ... of course." I responded automatically, smiling back at him, arranging my skirt around me as I sank back into the velveteen cushions. I knew he wanted to sit next to Wufei, just as I knew he didn't want me sitting next to Wufei. No outside influences on his boy, chortled my snide little internal voice.
That same low lighting made it possible to look at the programs, but nearly impossible to read them. I squinted and thumbed through the program to find something - anything - first, that I could actually read, and second, that was written in the common language. I couldn't find a single thing. Nothing. Not even the advertisements - everything was written in Italian.
I tried to look over at Wufei to remark to him about that, and found that I couldn't even see him, much less say anything to him. Treize was in the way. And there was something about Treize that evening, too - the way the light and shadows played across his face at that instant - to my overwrought imagination, it made him look godlike, possibly; frightening, definitely; but I couldn't pinpoint exactly why. I only knew that I wanted to run as far away from him as I could; unfortunately, that conflicted rather badly with my instinct to stay as close to Wufei as I possibly could.
No worries, chortled my evil sense of humor. Treize isn't going to let you go, so you and Wufei will always be together. Remember?
"Do you know this opera, Sally?"
Breathing faster, I ignored that nasty voice in my head; in fact, I decided that any voice, whether or not it was my own, was going to be ignored if it was unsolicited. "I'm really not familiar with it," I replied, pleased that my own voice wasn't shaking at all. It certainly felt like it should.
"Ah, well - this opera, my dear, Sally, involved the adventures of a young, Don Juan-like man, who receives his just due at the end when the father of a bride he seduced comes back from the dead to judge him."
I blinked. "My - that sounds a bit drastic."
"Oh, it is - but fully deserved. My dear, in the first scene alone, you will see Don Giovanni compromising that bride on her wedding day."
"No one was there to help her? She was left alone with him on her wedding day?"
"She was not 'left alone.' You will see what happens. Suffice it to say you will be pleased, I think, by the 'justice' meted out." Treize gave a dark chuckle, looking at me and settling back in his chair.
I nodded at him, feeling a little unsure, as the overture began and the house lights were dimmed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He was right. The story, while a sordid tale of treachery and debauchery, was engaging. I cared about Donna Anna, the poor woman Giovanni pursued, and felt badly for Donna Elvira, the woman he had previously seduced and abandoned. She was trying to protect other innocents from her fate as best she could, even though she was still in love with Giovanni.
And Giovanni - ah, he was handsome, cunning and utterly merciless. His lustful desires and complete disregard for anyone except himself left a trail of heartbreak and shattered dreams as wide as his ego.
Every seat in the opera house was filled, hanging on every nuanced syllable from each performers' lips. The mood in the second act became darker; warnings and hints of judgment coming to Don Giovanni if he did not repent, and hints of a supernatural - something - involved in all of this.
I was vaguely aware that Treize was whispering to Wufei a little during some parts of the opera. That wasn't terribly disturbing, though; and he had been whispering to me as well during the first act, explaining some parts that had been confusing. It was a little frustrating that I still couldn't see Wufei, so I had no idea if he was enjoying the opera, or just tolerating it, or was still hunched over in his chair.
And ... well ... the wine at dinner made me sleepy. I felt very warm and comfortable; it was dark in the box, and as all the lighting was fixed right at the stage, it was easy to close my eyes and just follow along with the music. I had a pretty good idea of what was happening, anyway, and I wasn't falling asleep. At least, that's what I told myself.
I was, however, very aware of my surroundings. Very aware of sitting next to Treize, of all people, and near Wufei. Aware of how weird that actually was, but how natural it felt. I wasn't touching him, but I knew Treize's body was next to mine; it felt warm and comfortable. It was an odd sensation, but ... I liked it. I could even identify his smell. It was masculine, somehow, even though it was tinged with the scent of roses; indescribably sensual; just pleasant enough to be sleepily arousing.
The music continued, now spiraling down, its theme becoming darker and more serious. My eyes were closed, and I imagined I understood the entire story - but it changed again, signaling Don Giovanni's last chance at repentance. A bass voice, following a hypnotic rhythm, tolled the Don's name as if in damnation, promising awful consequences if he did not repent.
At the same time, a weird image seared across my mind - an image that made no sense in any context at all, save one I didn't want to contemplate. As the chorus came in, still in that rhythm and still in the same minor key, the image became clearer -
- it was Treize, leaning over Wufei as a large predator leans over its prey before devouring it. This time, though, he wasn't devouring Wufei - he was kissing Wufei.
Deeply. And his hands were ... everywhere ... oh, gods, they were everywhere ... and Wufei was -
I started awake, my eyelids flying open, gasping, in time to hear Giovanni scream and to see demons drop from the rafters of the house into the scenery below. At the same time, a frantic, begging Giovanni was dragged off into the raging inferno to meet his fate.
Whirling, I stared over at Treize. He was sitting next to me, calmly watching the performance, his attention riveted to the stage below.
He wasn't kissing Wufei. He was watching the performance. I was going crazy. I raised my hand to my cheek - it felt hot and flushed, and my heart was racing. Right before dinner, I thought I was coming down with something, too - the room had gone out of focus for a moment or two. Well, this cinches it. I was getting sick. Some kind of flu. That had to be it.
I looked from the stage, to Treize, and back to the stage again. The last thing I saw on the stage was Giovanni's servant struck down; then I heard two final long chords that sounded like death knells - and only at that point was the curtain dropped.
This was SO not like the Mozart I listened to in the past. I sat there for a moment, blinking, stunned by the performance and that - that waking dream, if that's what it was...
The audience, on the other hand, erupted into wild applause, shouting 'Bravo!' and 'Encore!' I joined in when I saw that I would be the odd person out, not applauding at all. Again, I tried to see what Wufei was doing, but Treize was square in the way, so ... no such luck.
"Are you ready to go?" Treize bent down and searched my eyes, smiling.
"Ah ... yes, I believe I am," I replied, caught off guard, still looking for Wufei. Of course I was ready. I'd BEEN ready.
Treize offered me his hand and led me out of the box. I turned and finally saw Wufei; he was hunched in his chair, more so than when we arrived. He stood and followed us, not looking at me.
A small, narrow back stairway was directly across from our box; we did not wait for the elevator this time. No one else was around, either. It was easy to glide down the steps, across a small foyer and out the back door, right into the waiting limousine. I slipped into the limo first, Wufei moved in next to me, and Treize slipped in last.
"Home, please," Treize ordered, thumbing down the intercom switch.
I turned to Wufei, about to ask him a question, and stopped. Blinking slowly several times, I inhaled - and noticed that he smelled like ... like roses. Just like Treize. He looked sleepy; his cheeks were slightly flushed; he looked very pretty, and was obviously tired.
"Did you like the performance, Wufei?" I wanted to start a conversation, any conversation with him, just to see if he would answer me. I wondered if he had slept through the second act.
After a moment, Wufei breathed deeply and shifted next to me, as if he needed to wake himself up to answer. "Yes. It was one of the better ones I've heard."
"Best of the six, hmmm?" Treize laughed softly.
Wufei shrugged, flushing a little.
I narrowed my eyes at Treize, then turned back to Wufei. "That's a wonderful start, Wufei," I said, trying to encourage him. "What else have you heard?"
"Treize took me to see Madame Butterfly, Die Zauberflote, Die Frau Onno Schaunen, The Barber of Seville, and The Marriage of Figaro."
"That's quite an assortment," I nodded, thinking. "And you said you enjoyed this one more than the others. It certainly had interesting themes ..." I left that sentence unfinished, waiting to see if he would complete it.
"I think ... in a way, although the Strauss opera was much more developed. I prefer that to all this Mozart. But of the Mozart, yes, I enjoyed this the best."
I opened my mouth to ask him another question when I felt the car slow down and swerve slightly to the right. High piers and the outline of a ship in the darkness showed we had arrived at the dock. The limo rolled to a stop next to several uniformed men.
"We've arrived, sir," the driver announced over the intercom.
"Ah, excellent. Everyone out, please!"
The door opened, as if on cue. A gloved hand reached in to help me to my feet; cool, tangy sea air brushed my cheek and nose as I walked onto the main part of the dock.
"Thank you," I murmured to the doorman as he smiled and leaned in to assist Wufei. He totally ignored the doorman's hand - in fact, he scowled at him, rejecting his assistance as he climbed out of the limo.
Good. That was the Wufei I knew.
We stood on the dock and watched the limo pull away. Sighing, I turned toward the ship, and noticed that Treize was already at the top of the gangplank, speaking to someone I couldn't quite identify.
"Wufei - Wufei?"
"Hmm?" He looked at me, vague and puzzled.
I took his arm and started walking on the gangplank, bringing him along with me. "Wufei, what's wrong? You don't seem like yourself at all."
He looked lost, and shook his head. "I ... don't entirely know."
We walked for a few more moments in silence; I looked up, and saw that Treize wasn't at the top of the gangplank, but Une was.
As soon as I looked at her, my head started to throb. Anyone but Une - it could have been anyone but Une. That woman never liked me at all, and she certainly had no love for Wufei, either. I sighed again, loud enough for Wufei to look up at me, then look in front of us. When he saw Une, his eyes narrowed and he stiffened, pulling his arm away from my grip. We stopped several paces away from her.
Glaring at both of us, she spit out, "Lord Treize has commended that I inform you of the extra bedrooms on deck. Because of a small local storm, we will be taking a longer route home. There are changes of clothes in your bedrooms. This way, please." She immediately swung around and started to march off across the deck, a little windup soldier.
Wufei and I looked at each other, shrugged, and walked after her.
"Small local storm? How large is this storm, Lady Une?" I called after her.
"Not big. We will be steering around it. Coming to the island from the other side, for safety."
"Oh." I started calculating ... it took about three hours over ... and then we would need to add another couple hours to our normal travel time ....
"Lord Treize is laying down and sleeping now, and suggested that you do the same."
"Sleeping?" Wufei blinked, then snorted. "I thought he never slept."
Une swung around and favored him with her Glare of Doom. Wufei kept walking, and gave her his Glare of Doom.
I simply rolled my eyes at both of them and kept walking. After another few moments of awkward silence, I asked, "Are our cabins next to each other?"
"No. Yours is here." She turned and pointed to a small stateroom door, obviously feeling no obligation to open it for me.
"Ah ... and ... Wufei is -"
"This way." She tossed her head and marched down the corridor, back straight as a ramrod; in fact, it looked as if someone stuck a ramrod DOWN her back.
Looking uncomfortable, Wufei shrugged and said, "See you in a bit?"
I nodded, feeling uneasy. "Yes, please, Wufei. Please come back and see me." I watched Wufei walk down the corridor after Une, and an odd thought entered my mind:
His room might be near Treize's.
Yeah. That was not a nice thought at all.
Breathing a little faster, I ducked back into my room and decided to change as quickly as I could. Wufei and I needed to talk about things very soon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~