The gallery owner at the other end of the phone line, in New York, was very pleased to hear what he just had been told. "That's awesome, Mikael! You could finally finish the obelisk statue! So it can now be the eye-catcher of the new exhibition. Wonderful! This will give us an enormous advantage vis-à-vis the Tate!"

"Yes, I can ship it, as soon as the arrangements are made. And I have the tapes ready from the "Infinity"- performance."

"Very good! It seems you are back to your former self, then!" The man at the other end chuckled. "May I ask who your new Muse is?"

Mikael closed his eyes and smiled. "A very special woman."

"Well, so I hope you entertain her the best you can because when you are happy, my bank account is happy – and your's as well, just to mention it."

Mikael was in no mood to drag this annoying conversation longer than necessary. "Mail me the papers, and I have the shipment ready."

"I hope you will honor us with your presence this time at the opening of the exhibition?"

"I will." And I will bring her along…

Meanwhile, Crystal sat in the animal welfare meeting in a local church hall. However, she could not focus very well. Of course, she knew the important issues discussed in this round. She knew the shelters needed money, and there was the neuter program for the homeless cats… Nonetheless, her mind was with the artwork she had started together with Mikael. Two birds flying up into the sky…

Her eyes drifted to one of the lights on the tables, consisting of a little metal basket with a small candle. Light shone through the tiny holes and created a pattern on the desk. Crystal had an idea…

-"Hey, don't you want any coffee, Hon?"

She startled and discovered her friend Kate next to her and all the other participants of the meeting already underway to fetch a snack or something to drink. Coffee break! "Uhm… yes, of course! I was somewhat lost in my thoughts!"

"That I saw!" The other woman smiled friendly. "So, how are things going?"

"Oh, I started to take art lessons," Crystal replied, her mind still in the studio and with her artwork. Then she followed her friend to the table with the arranged snacks.

"Art lessons?! Really?!" Kate grabbed a sandwich. "That sounds fantastic! With Hoshi from the second-hand shop? I heard she has studied some art stuff back in the 70ies."

"No. Not Hoshi. His name is Mikael Gant." She stuffed a cookie into her mouth to have an excuse not to talk any further. But obviously, that was not necessary anyway.

Kate was beside herself already. "That's AWESOME! I know him! I mean, of course, I do not know him – if I WOULD I would not sit here anymore, right?! But I've read about him in the 'Enquirer'! He's filthy rich, drives a Mercedes or a Porsche! Or both. I don't remember exactly. And HE gives you art lessons? You are one lucky girl! What do you learn?"

"Oh, I…" Crystal found it difficult to express and describe how many new things and perceptions she had gained in the meantime. Luckily, the other woman was now far too occupied with herself for paying attention: "This reminds me of the weaving course I took some years ago! Oh was that funny! I never had laughed so much! But my results … well… let's not mention it! – How's Norman? Has he found a new job yet?"

Hearing, that this wasn't the case, Kate promised to look and ask some people. Then, the conversation turned again to the airport problem. Another meeting member joined them and said that they were about to organize something spontaneous after the visit of a Senator had been announced. Crystal's thoughts wandered away again. She started to become downright allergic to all these things! The more, because Norman was gone planning exactly that spontaneous 'thing', instead of searching for a job. She had left the house annoyed.

"Sorry, folks," she interrupted the discussion. "I think I have to leave. I might come down with something… I don't know! I just feel awfully tired."

Accompanied by the concern and best wishes of her friends and comrades, Crystal left. Outside, she took a deep breath, feeling a bit guilty for having excused herself that way. Then, she vaulted the bike and rode as fast as she could. She had to tell Mikael about the idea!

It took some time until he opened. Crystal was already about to leave.

"I have disturbed you once again!" She apologized. "I'm sorry!"

"No, no, not at all! Come in! I was on the phone with a gallery in New York."

"Oh, that's good, isn't it?"

"Ah... Sometimes I wished I never had to deal with them again. The imagination of the owner ends at his balances. - So what brought you here, before our scheduled lesson?"

"I had an idea, for the bird sculpture! I would love to see them fly around a light, like around the sun! I don't know how to do this… maybe with a lamp…"

"Yes!" Mikael understood within that moment what she had in mind, and saw it clearly. The tedious morning was swept away immediately, as the inspiration rushed through him. "Of course! We put the birds on a metal skeleton! In the format of the globe. If we make the partition walls thin enough and the light source strong enough, the skeleton will be almost invisible!"

He grabbed her hand and dragged her along towards the studio. "We have to make some tests with the metal, and the light source! It must not be too hot, but bright!"

While he was searching for some materials in a sideboard, Crystal wandered around and halted next to the Obelisk, where various cans with color still stood around. "This is, what you're working at?"

"Actually, I finished it last night. Be careful, the color is certainly not dry yet."

"It is … strange somehow," she said, letting her eyes wander up and down and around the sculpture that stood under a bright spotlight. "I don't know how to say it, but it seems …." She was helpless. "Strange."

"The color patterns create an optical illusion," Mikael replied, stepping back to her. "That is, what makes it look that way. You think to see something that can't exist. It challenges the perception of truth."

"Yes…" She looked upwards again. Under the lamp, the obelisk seemed to split in half. "It is … like the doorway into another world."

Mikael observed her in complete rapture. He stretched his hand and let it wander through the strands of her hair. "You are the doorway into another world," he whispered. Crystal trembled as his hands started to move over her body feeling for her shape. But he did not look at her. His wide-open eyes were focused on his artwork standing behind her. "I can … make you merge with it … and … create something new!" Now he faced her again, smiled with eyes gleaming of intensity, and let her go. "Undress!"

She hesitated, and he could discern the sudden uncertainty. But behind it, he sensed a longing very similar to his own. She was the spark, the flame that set his mind and body to fire. So many ideas flashed through him now. If possible, he would've worked for weeks without sleep.

"I would not do anything degrading to you, you know that."

Crystal nodded slowly and still apprehensive. A few moments later, Mikael applied black color onto her body, from her left shoulder in a line to her right hip and then her right leg. Was this not, what she had secretly wanted all those past days – that he would touch her? And now, it was such a surreal experience, when he put the brush away and spread the paint with his hands. Against the backdrop of the similar black painted sculpture, her body seemed to dissolve…

Mikael was in exhilaration, seeing his artistic vision becoming flesh and blood and vice-versa. He wanted her that much, wanted to merge with her as she was merging with his creation, and reach that other world of pure perfection…

"What do you want me to do?" She whispered, but seeing in his eyes, she knew exactly what he wanted, without any other spoken word. In her mind formed an answer. But Mikael did not say anything, and she did not answer aloud.

"Step a little bit to the right," he finally said, "… and turn your face to the stone… lift your right arm up into the light… yes!" He wiped his hands and took the prepared photo camera. "It is a black-and-white high ISO-film. You will be amazed what it does…"

When he was preparing the development of the film material, Crystal stood under the shower and scrubbed like crazy, to get all the paint from her body. Later, they were busy drawing a few sketches for her bird-lamp-artwork. It was dark again when she left.

Norman was already waiting. "There you are finally! I was worried! Kate called and said you left the meeting because you did not feel well…"

Oh God, crap. "It was nothing. I only needed some fresh air. So I rode down to the beach and … and chilled a bit." She put her bag on the sideboard in the kitchen and checked if there had not been any black paint left on her arm. Still, she smelled after soap and dissolver.

"For FIVE hours?" He was really worried. She had never seen him that worried.

"I guess, I must have fallen asleep. I'm sorry. Have you eaten already or should I prepare something?"

Norman glanced at her, and she had the feeling, his worrying look became downright inquisitive. "Kate told me, you take art lessons with this Gant-dude."

She turned away to the sideboard, pretended to search for something in her bag, and cursed silently. "Yes, I do. I thought I'd needed a little change in the daily routine. And I liked to paint back in school, you know." She felt as if caught red-handed on a crime scene.

"There are arts-and-crafts-workshops at the church, Crystal. Why asking this… porn-photographer?"

"It just sort of happened. I did not know who he was," she answered. "And he is no porn-photographer."

"I don't like that," he grumbled. "He doesn't give you any drugs, does he? You look somewhat pale."

"No! Heavens! Of course not! He teaches me how to make sculptures!" And smears half of my naked body in black paint before making dozens of photos… "Look, if I make good progress, I can sell my creations at the animal shelter bazaar or on the crafts market, and we can make some extra bucks," Crystal continued, knowing she did not sound very convincing.

"In case he hits on you, Darling, I'm going to smash his smug face, believe me."

She tried to lighten the mood with a little laughter. "Norman! You are really ready to ride into a tournament for me?!" She put her arms around him and felt even worse. He bent down to kiss her and she was really glad when the phone rang. That night, when he crawled under her blanket, she realized – and felt guilty once more – that she just could not tolerate his touch anymore. She tried to play along and hoped it would not be too obvious.

The next morning, Mikael was startled from a deep sleep before noon by someone persistently pushing his doorbell. He looked down from his bedroom, then wrapped himself in a bathrobe and went down. He knew the three people standing in front of his door were from the police, even before they showed the respective badges. Annoyance settled in him when their obvious boss blurted: "May we have a little conversation with you, Mr. Gant? I'm Detective Hoover. And I would like to ask you some questions about this person." He presented him a photograph of a young woman, lying on the stretcher of a morgue.

Mikael glanced into the face of the Detective again, full of disgust. "Is there a specific reason the American police likes asking me about dead women?"

"Actually, there is," replied Hoover. "Your travel itinerary, Mr. Gant. It just happens to coincide with some of the nastiest women murders of the last years in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles." Hoover's eyes wandered over the sculptures he could see in the background.

"I have been questioned about these things in Los Angeles. As far as I know, the police could identify the killer who framed me: my ex-assistant Nick Sorvino. So I don't see –"

"You will SEE in a minute. Three days ago, another dead girl has been found in Hilo, showing the same characteristics as the other seventeen victims. And, as you pointed out, Mr. Sorvino is dead by now."

"And I am the only suspect you can find in this city? This is a foolish and impertinent conclusion … Detective."

Hoover smiled wintry. "Don't try to play games with me! I brought the boss of the Hawaiian Chinese Triade into jail. I assure you, I know all the evasive tricks you might try."

"I don't know what you're insinuating to. If you don't mind leaving now? I have work to do."

Hoover shot him a steely glance. Then he turned around and gestured his companions to follow him. As he had no warrant, there was nothing he could do at the moment.