One evening as the night was coming in Pride, Alastor entered Rosie's Emporium.
Despite the smile he always carried on his face, there was much on the Radio Demon's mind. That was why he was here to confide in Rosie.
"Alastor!" Rosie cried happily as Alastor walked through the door. "You're finally here!"
The Cannibal Overlord pulled Alastor immediately into a tight hug. He leaned into the hug and hugged her back since she was one of the few that he was alright with touching.
"Nice to see you too, Rosie," Alastor said, letting go to look around warily. "Are we alone?"
"Of course," replied Rosie. "The last person left about 20 minutes ago. I've got all my top people on your little errand."
Alastor sighed in relief without breaking his smile. "Wonderful."
"Come, come," Rosie beckoned. "I just got the tea ready."
"Gladly," Alastor nodded before teleporting through shadows over to his chair.
Rosie sat down across from Alastor. She poured her tea and his and they got the conversation started.
"So, Alastor, tell me. How have you been doing?" asked Rosie.
"I must admit that I'm rather anxious about the whole affair," Alastor replied shortly. "Your scouts, did you give them all the notes? They will be helpful in the search."
"Yes, Alastor, I did everything you asked," Rosie reassured. "But as I said before, I can't help but feel that you might be pursuing this whole thing all wrong."
"Rosie, I am trying to find my only child in the only way I know how," Alastor rebuffed. "I have kept my ears open for almost a century to hear anything about her arrival. It's been more than long enough for her to have died naturally, so I have to do something to locate her."
"Oh, honey, I understand that part," Rosie said, letting Alastor continue his rant. "It's how you're pursuing it that I don't understand."
"Rosie, I only saw her as a newborn, so I don't know what she looks like as a woman," Alastor patiently explained again. "I only know she would have something that resembles me. She has to…"
"Alastor, you don't know that for sure," Rosie interrupted. "Unless she committed your exact same sin and died the same way you did, she might not resemble you at all."
"Oh, there will be some tells," Alastor said calmly taking a sip of his tea. "I know there will be. I made sure of it."
Rosie paused. "Honey, you can't say something like that and not give an explanation."
"To do that, I must tell you the whole story," explained Alastor.
"Go on then," pressed Rosie. "You promised earlier that you'd give me all the tea so let me have it."
Alastor nodded and began his tale, "Alrighty then. It all began in 1931. I was in my prime working at my radio station at night and taking out wretches on my days off. It was a marvelous life that I didn't think could get any better. But then I met her…"
"You were with a woman? So, the child is yours biologically?" Rosie asked in surprise.
"Yes, Rosie, I thought I explained that earlier," answered Alastor.
"You said you had a daughter," Rosie explained. "I assumed you meant that you adopted her."
"My dear Rosie, why would you assume that?" asked Alastor.
Rosie paused awkwardly for a moment, not knowing what to say. "Uh…no reason. Please, dear, do continue. This young lady, what was she like?"
Alastor let the previous comment go and continued, "Her name was Valerie. Valerie Cerf. I met her at a gathering the boys at the station were having at Madame Cartier's. It was a high-class brothel…"
"Oh, my…" interrupted Rosie.
"Yes, well, brothels were all over the Crescent City in those days," Alastor replied. "I accompanied the men to keep up appearances for work, but I would usually sit in the main parlor, drink with the head madame, and not partake. But that autumn night was different. There was a young lady there with dark auburn hair and bright blue eyes. At that time, she was 24. She was older than most of the other girls and you could tell from her demeanor that she was much smarter. I can remember it clearly. She had on a dark blue gown. She noticed me sitting alone and walked over to keep me company.
"'You're an observer, aren't you?' she asked.
"'Pardon?' I replied.
"'You're an observer. You prefer sitting back and studying the crowd rather than being part of it. You like to watch human behavior from a distance to understand others. You calculate your approach before taking any actions. You're a thinking man who sees and understands far more than he lets on. That is what sets you apart from the others.'
"'Impressive. Did you surmise all that from a glace or is that a line you use with all the gents?'
"Valerie sat down next to me and said, 'You might say that it's a bit of both. In this business, impressing a man is everything, so you learn certain tricks to catch his interest. Everyone has their own. Mine is observing a man from a distance and watching his behavior to learn who he is. Then once you figure that part out, you approach him and enchant him with your words.'
"I admit that I chuckled and asked, 'Do these actions always give you the desired result?'
"'Most of the time. You'd be surprised at how many men think women don't have brains. They are used to the women in their lives behaving like dumb, obedient children. They forget about many of the powerful women in our past and present. So, when a girl walks up to him and tells him everything about himself, he's beside himself with shock. That's what they appreciate about us. We're different. We give them a mind as well as a body.'
"She was absolutely fascinating. I had always respected women, you understand, but I had never encountered such a woman in this kind of environment. She interested me.
"'Do you think you have accomplished your objective with me?' I asked.
"'That depends, cher,' she said. 'Do you wish to join me upstairs?'
"I chuckled, 'You'll find my dear that I'm the kind of man who prefers engaging with the mind rather than the body.'
"She backed away and seemed disappointed.
"'I see," she said.
"She scooted away, but I took her hand and told her, 'But I'd love to further engage with your mind if you could find us a quiet place to talk.'
"Valerie smiled at me warmly and led me upstairs to a small quiet room where she would normally have most of her clients. She told me her name. I was about to introduce myself, but as soon as we entered the room, she ran straight for the radio sitting on her bedside table.
"'Oh, this damn thing!' Valerie cried. 'It's acting up again. Just give me a second.'
"Then to my surprise, she pulled a screwdriver and a small box of some other tools out of her bedside drawer and started fixing the radio in front of me. Valerie was so quick and so nimble with her fingers. I had never seen a single man work as fast as she did…"
"What you didn't think a woman could work a radio?" asked Rosie. "I thought you weren't a sexist, Alastor."
"Of course not," Alastor waved away. "I had just never met a woman who was that good with machines. It turns out she operated ham radios and fixed them as a hobby. She wanted to make it a career, but she didn't know how to make the leap between ham radio and the radio equipment in a station. I told her who I was, and she was surprised…"
Alastor paused to smile, "She told me that she always pictured Alastor the radio host as looking like a movie star or one of those ancient Greco-Roman statues. I sounded so much larger than life on the radio that she didn't imagine me appearing simply as an ordinary, approachable man. Valerie didn't mean that as an insult either. She said she liked my appearance. I admit that I liked hers too.
"After that, we spent the rest of the night talking about radio technology. After a few hours had passed, I paid her for her time, promised to bring her radio manuals from the station so she could start learning, and made my departure. That was the first of many nights I spent with her.
"From then on, I'd come over on my nights off when I wasn't killing or working. We'd talk for hours about many things, radio technology, the news, our pasts, anything. I'd pay her every time so she wouldn't lose money for her time. My other nighttime activities were the only parts of myself that I kept from her. I knew she wouldn't understand that, and I didn't want to get her involved in it. Valerie was as kind as she was intelligent. She would've thought I was a monster…"
"And you cared about what she thought of you?" Rosie asked, leaning in interestedly.
Alastor paused and thought for a moment. "Yes, I was afraid of doing anything to make her hate me. I felt the urge to make her happy however I could. I also wanted to help her out. She was ambitious and so genuine. She was only a prostitute to pay her bills, but she wanted more out of life. I couldn't help but sympathize with that. So, I helped her. I started teaching her how to work as a technician at the radio station. She came down to the station whenever she had a night off. She still worked at her brothel to pay her bills, but if she had asked, I probably would've paid for those."
"Oh, my God," Rosie said, astonished. "I can't believe it. You had it bad."
"Had what bad?" Alastor asked confusedly.
"You were smitten with her," Rosie said. "I didn't think that was possible."
Alastor looked askance. "I didn't think it was either, but I was. It was strange. When I was near her, I felt so warm and missed her when I was apart. I couldn't explain until later what the feeling was. I kept seeing her for over a year. Over that time, the warm feeling grew. One night, it grew so much that I finally asked her if I could give her my virginity."
Rosie literally spat out her tea. "Hold on. Say what now?"
Alastor sighed deeply. "It happened one night during our regular meetup. Valerie was excitedly chattering about all the new advances in radio technology, but I found I couldn't focus on a word. She was so stunningly lovely that night. She wore a blue gown that matched her eyes. She was beautiful and I wanted to show her that I appreciated that, but I didn't know how to show it. So, I tried to approach it a certain way.
"'Valerie?' I asked.
"'Yeah, Al?' she replied.
"'I have something embarrassing I want to relate. You must promise not to tell anyone.'
"'Of course, not.'
"'I am a virgin.'
"Valerie chuckled. 'A handsome fellow like you? There's no way.'
"'It's the truth, dear. I find it rather embarrassing,' I lied. 'I have never known how to approach a woman in that way. That is something I would like to change.'
"Valerie paused. She understood. 'Oh, so is it advice you are looking for or something more intimate?'
"'Something more intimate,' I answered. 'I hate to spring this on you, Valerie. It's just that I trust you and admire you very much as a woman. I didn't know who else to trust. I'm not used to being the student in this sense, you know? I just didn't know where else to go to…'"
"Valerie held a finger to my mouth to silence me. I'll never forget it. She smiled widely and said, 'Just follow my lead…'"
"Oh, my God," Rosie said. "Tell me all the details."
"Rosie, that is so inappropriate," Alastor chuckled. "Why would I go into detail about such a thing?"
"Oh, come on," Rosie complained. "You can't reveal some serious tea like that and not give me any details about it."
"Come now, Rosie," Alastor argued. "Some things should remain private. But since you're curious, I will tell you this. I did find the experience enjoyable considering I'd never done it before. There were parts of it that I found uncomfortable, but there were other parts that I enjoyed. I mostly appreciated the intimacy and the pleasure we felt between each other. I also enjoyed how happy it made her feel. We did it a few more times and spent so much energy that I fell asleep next to Valerie that night. I didn't get up to leave until early the next morning.
"Before I left, she woke up.
"'Where are you going?' Valerie asked.
"I tried to avert my eyes because she wasn't wearing any clothes and replied, 'I regretfully have to get some work done. I will see you again soon.'
"'Alastor?' she asked me. 'I need to know. Did last night change anything between us? Are we still friends?'
"I looked her in the eyes, knelt beside her, and said, 'Of course, my dear. I still consider you a very dear friend. Nothing could ever change that or my fondness for you.'
"Valerie looked away and smiled gently. 'Okay,' she said.
"Then I told her, 'Why don't you come over to the station tomorrow? I want to start you there as a technician. I'll pull the strings to get you in.'
"'Are you doing this because of what happened last night?' she asked.
"'No,' I replied. 'I would've asked anyway.'
"Valerie was smiling, but her eyes looked a little sad. I figured that she wished to be alone, so I wrote down the address to the station for her and took off."
Rosie facepalmed.
"What?" asked Alastor.
"Alastor, the girl liked you," Rosie explained. "How did you miss that? That's why she was happy to let you have your way with her. She thought you making love to her and spending the night meant that you liked her too. That's why she got sad when you told her that you were still only friends. She didn't just want a job. She wanted you. Good God, men are the most oblivious creatures. I swear."
Alastor paused thoughtfully. "That explains it then."
"Hmmmm?" pressed Rosie.
"She started going out with a new Creole boy, a nurse named Beau," explained Alastor. "The man worked at the clinic Valerie and her colleagues used. They had dated but only started getting serious when she started working for me. I had wondered why she got involved with him so quickly. That explains it."
"Oh, I suppose that would," replied Rosie. "I need to know. Did you love Valerie?"
Alastor sighed, "I did, but I didn't figure that out until after several months of working with her. The more time I spent with her and saw her intelligence in action, the more I realized how much I had feelings for her.
"Four months later, Valerie called in sick off work, so I decided to go by her apartment after my show. On my way there, I bought flowers and made up my mind. I would confess everything to her that night. Come what may. So, I made my way over there and knocked on the door, but when her boyfriend Beau opened the door and told me anxiously to come in, I knew something was wrong. I came in to find Valerie crying on the couch. I immediately asked what was wrong. She and Beau sat down and told me everything. Valerie was with child, my child. She was four months along and knew that the baby had to be mine since I was the last man she had been with in that way.
"I felt horrible. Completely awful. A woman could lose everything in those days for such a disgrace. We already had to hide her past as a lady of the night. I had to kill a few gossips already, but there was no way to hide a whole child. I knew I had to help Valerie any way I could. So, I proposed to her then and there to make things right. Valerie thanked me for the offer, but Beau had already proposed."
"Ouch," Rosie said.
"Tell me about it," said Alastor. "But it was Valerie's choice, so I went along with it. Beau was a decent fellow, I suppose. He was three years her junior yet he was devoted and loving, the kind of fellow who swore he would buy her the moon if he could. He respected her intelligence and appreciated her. She appreciated him too. They made a cute couple…"
"But you didn't like him. Did you?" interrupted Rosie.
Alastor scoffed, "Not at all. He was practically a boy. He was too young, too foolish for such a responsibility, even if he claimed he was ready for it. He was disgustingly naïve about what he was up against and wasn't strong enough to face it. Anyone could tell that from looking at him. He wouldn't be able to raise another man's child. I knew he was either going to depart or raise his fists the moment circumstances became difficult and break poor Valerie's heart with either result. She was a smart and mature woman. She needed someone just as intelligent and capable to help her raise the child. So, from that moment on, I resolved to take his place. I just had to wait for the right time to step in.
"In the meantime, I told Valerie that I would cover all her and our child's expenses for the birth and everything else she needed. She worried that people would talk so I told her I would be our baby's godfather. That way, no one would question my involvement. She and the baby would be provided for. Before that, I would be a witness when they signed their marriage license. The quick marriage would make everyone assume that the baby was Beau's.
"Valerie and I agreed on that plan. Beau protested my involvement, but Valerie got him to see reason. I could tell that he felt threatened by my presence. Men do get so territorial and overprotective over their mates. It didn't bother me, however. His days were numbered."
"Alastor, if you wanted to get rid of the man, why didn't you kill him right away?" asked Rosie.
"Because Valerie still loved him," Alastor explained. "She wanted to be with Beau. If I were to kill him too soon, her heart would be broken. She'd mourn the man, and she'd never want to remarry me. I couldn't have that. So, I figured that I'd wait for the idiot to make a mistake that caused her to reject him herself. Then I'd get rid of him when it was convenient. In the meantime, I'd be attentive to Valerie and prepare for our baby to arrive."
"So, how did that plan go?" asked Rosie.
"I waited patiently," began Alastor. "I begrudgingly attended their wedding. I must admit that it was painful to watch, but I grinned and bore it. The boy was going to mess up sooner or later.
"After that was over, I checked in on the couple almost every day. I took care of Valerie and provided her with everything she needed and asked for. I gave her advice too. You see, my mother was a midwife and a nurse to new mothers. She would take me to her meetings with expectant mothers and later their newborn babies when I was a child. I remembered what I had learned from her and offered Valerie the same advice and all the medical care that money could buy. I could tell the boy had a problem with it, but he never said anything. Well, rarely.
"On the days leading up to the due date, Beau became much more overprotective. When it came time to check Valerie into the hospital, he wouldn't leave her side. When I came around, the boy got short with me even when Valerie explained to him that I was helping. He grated on my nerves and hers, the poor dear. She was so frightened, and she had reason to be. Her mother had died in childbirth, and she was afraid of suffering the same fate.
"So, a few days before the birth, I brought Valerie a gris gris. That's a voodoo talisman of items contained in a bag whose contents vary depending on what the talisman is for. I explained to her that if she wore the bag around her neck its magic would grant her protection. She was grateful for the gift and accepted it, but then her husband came back into the room.
"'What is that thing?!' the moron crooned. 'Are you placing a curse on my wife and my baby?!'
"Valerie tried to correct him, but I explained it for her.
"'No, my good man, this talisman is for protection, to ensure that Valerie and our baby have a safe delivery. It's for their protection. You have nothing to fear for them.'
"I tried to explain it, but the man dared to call me a liar. I assured him I wasn't and managed to remain calm. Eventually, Valerie snapped at the man and told him that I was helping more than he was and he needed to calm down. Oh, you should have seen the look on his face. It was glorious…"
"That is all well and good, Alastor, but could you tell me how you felt about being a father?" asked Rosie, taking a sip of her tea. "Because that is the real tea. It must have been such an overwhelming experience for you."
Alastor paused and shrugged, "Admittedly, I didn't know how to think about it at first. I had never pictured myself as being a family man. My own father was a horrible man, so I wasn't sure how to be a father myself. I did have an example from my mother. She was a wonderful woman, an angel on earth. But since she passed, I was on my own with this experience.
"You see, there was another reason I couldn't tell anyone that I was the child's biological father. I was a biracial man in a prejudiced world. My mother was black. My father was white. I could pass for white most of the time, but anyone who knew me or my mother knew what I was. If anyone knew that the child came from me, their prospects would be limited.
"Now, Valerie wasn't prejudiced. Beau wasn't either since he had Creole ancestry, but I didn't trust him. So, I knew protecting the child had to be my major concern. I owed them that much, so I decided early on to give the child everything they needed to succeed. That concern grew in me as Valerie's belly did. I admit that I felt more anxiety than anything resembling love before the birth. Though secretly, I hoped and prayed for a girl."
"Why a girl?" asked Rosie.
"Because I much prefer the company of women," Alastor explained with a chuckle. "You've always known that."
"But so much so that you couldn't love a son?" asked Rosie.
Alastor paused in thought. "I don't know, but thankfully, I didn't have to learn. We had a daughter.
"I will always remember that day. It was a cool morning on October 7, 1933. I received a telegram from Valerie and Beau that she had gone into labor. I left work as soon as I could to get to her. Thankfully, the delivery was brief and without complications. The whole matter was done by the time I arrived. I stepped into the room and saw the baby.
"The first thing Valerie did was hold the baby up to me and say, 'Alastor, look. She has your eyes.'
"I saw her and couldn't take my eyes off her. Valerie was right. She had my shade of brown hair and these big brown doe eyes, the same color as mine. She was beautiful…"
Alastor paused. A genuinely warm smile spread across his face. He shut his eyes and basked in the memory.
"That seems like a wonderful memory for you, Alastor," Rosie smiled.
"Oh, Rosie, it was," Alastor replied. "Teresa was the most beautiful little girl. I felt such love at the sight of her. It's the closest thing I've ever known to love at first sight. She was so small, so helpless, so sweet, so innocent. I felt overwhelmed with the duty to both protect her and help her become as strong as possible."
"Strong as possible?" Rosie asked.
"Why yes," explained Alastor. "Every father has to help their children in any way possible, particularly when the child is a girl. The world is harder on women, especially women of color. I had to do what I could for her to succeed in such an unfair world. Like me, I needed to make Teresa a wolf among the sheep. And not just any wolf, but the strongest of the pack."
"Oh, Alastor, you were such a good father," Rosie praised. "I didn't know you had it in you."
"I like to think even a sinner like me has some virtue," replied Alastor.
"So, what did you do first to get that ball rolling?" asked Rosie.
Alastor chuckled, "There wasn't much I could do at first, Rosie. Teresa was only a baby after all. I wanted to endow her with the powers of the dark spirits as I did for myself, but Valerie would hardly let her out of her sight. She was a good mother, attentive, affectionate, loving, devoted, and hardworking, so much so that it took her some time before she was willing to go anywhere without her child. To his credit, Beau was a protective and knowledgeable father who seemed to love the baby as his own…"
"Wow, what a perfect guy," Rosie commented. "You must have been jealous."
"Oh, you have no idea," Alastor said. "I was steaming on the inside. Beau had experience taking care of babies and children as a nurse, so he knew everything about how to meet Teresa's every need. Now, my mother was a midwife. I went with her on her visits as a child, so I remembered a few things. But compared to Beau, I had much catching up to do. I was a quick learner. I came to see Valerie and Teresa every day and helped whenever possible. Valerie was a gracious teacher. However, learning from Beau was humiliating.
"I swear, the man was proud of his superior amount of knowledge and touted it in front of me just to humiliate me. He already had my woman and my daughter. He had everything I wanted, and he just had to show it off…"
"So, why not kill him?" asked Rosie. "You had more money and more resources. You were already Valerie's friend and colleague at the radio station. It wouldn't have been questioned if you had married her sometime after her husband was found dead and then adopted your baby as your own again. It would have even been considered honorable on your part. So, I ask again. Why not just kill the guy and get your wife and child back?"
"One reason and one reason only: Valerie," explained Alastor. "Valerie loved Beau. I could tell. If I were to get rid of him before he had screwed up badly enough to alienate himself, Valerie would have been heartbroken. She would have been mine, but she would have been depressed. As badly as I wanted to, I could not bring myself to take what was mine. I could not stand to hurt Valerie.
"However, that didn't mean I wouldn't be involved with Teresa. I was there for my baby almost every day so that she'd recognize me as her father, even with that oaf around. In front of her mother and stepfather, I'd call myself her uncle, but when we were alone, I referred to myself as her papa.
"I adored being with the child. She was a calm, observant, and generally happy baby. Once she learned how to smile, she hardly ever stopped. It was endearing. I also enjoyed watching her look around at everything as if she was studying it. I knew there was intelligence behind her eyes and wanted to nurture that. She had so much beauty and potential in her. I knew I had to do what I could to strengthen her, to give her everything she could ever need to succeed in such an awful world. I just had to ask the dark spirits and the ancestors to start giving her what they had given me…"
"By performing a voodoo ritual?" finished Rosie.
"Precisely," Alastor said. "But to do that, I needed to spend time alone with my little Teresa. Understandably, her mother was unwilling to take time away from her. Beau was annoyingly persistent too. It wasn't until December when the girl was two months old that the new parents were willing to let me babysit for an evening while they attended a Christmas party. I decided to perform the ritual then. I had to do some prep work. I had to go through the work of kidnapping a man instead of just killing him, but for my baby, it was worth it."
"Oh, who was it? Do you remember?" asked Rosie.
"Oh, some corrupt local politician who frequented Valerie's old brothel and beat up a few of her friends," Alastor waved away dismissively. "No one who didn't deserve it."
"Oh, God," Rosie smiled impressed. "You were a heavy hitter even then. A man like that would be missed very quickly. That was a ballsy move."
Alastor chuckled. "Yes, well, the dark ones required the sacrifice of a dark soul if they were to bless my baby with their power. So, I figured why not use someone extra nasty and important? Sure, drugging and transporting the man required extra effort on my part, but it was worth it. After all, my baby deserved the best and I intended to give it to her."
"You were such a good father," complimented Rosie.
"Thank you," Alastor beamed. I lined up everything perfectly for that night. I had the man in my home's basement ready for me and my baby. I kept the man tied up and gagged downstairs while I received Teresa upstairs. Then, once Valerie and her husband left, I rocked the baby to sleep and swaddled her in blankets to keep her warm before I finally went downstairs.
"The man visibly panicked when he saw me turn on the lights and go downstairs with the baby. He acted like he wanted to say something, so I pulled off his gag once I laid Teresa in the bassinet near the furnace…"
"Alastor, you left the baby close to a furnace?" asked Rosie disappointedly.
"Of course not," rebuffed Alastor. "I moved her toward the furnace's heat, not right next to it. Honestly, have some faith in my parenting."
"Just making sure, honey," reassured Rosie. "I have met some horrible fathers in my time."
"Well, I was not one of them," assured Alastor. "Anyhow, once I placed Teresa in her bassinet which was a safe distance away from the furnace but close enough to keep her warm, I ungagged my victim.
"'Who the hell are you?!' the man cried. 'And what do you plan on doing with that child?!'
"I kneeled and gave him a reply, 'Oh, you've heard of me, statesman. Everyone around here has heard of me. I'm on the number one radio station in all of New Orleans.'
"I could see the wheels turning in his head until he finally figured it out. It was priceless.
"'Wait. I know your voice…Mr. Alastor?'
"'Very good,' I replied. 'You catch on quickly. That's exactly what one would expect of a good city council member. And to answer your other question, you don't need to worry about the baby. I'd worry more about yourself.'
"Oh, that got him going. 'What do you want from me?! What do you plan on doing?! I'll give you whatever you want!' You know how victims are.
"He kept going until his screaming woke up my poor, scared Teresa. She immediately started crying, so I had to turn away to take care of her. Poor dear. The noise gave her such a fright that I kicked the man in the stomach to make him shut up.
"'Now, look what you did!' I scolded. 'You woke the baby.'
"To his credit, the man was first worried about Teresa."
"That's refreshing," Rosie noted. "They're usually so self-centered."
"The man looked so panicked for her," continued Alastor. "It was almost admirable. At any rate, I needed to attend to Teresa, so I walked over to her bassinet and picked her up to calm her.
"'Whatever you do, don't harm that baby! Please!' he begged.
"I rolled my eyes and continued bouncing her.
"'It's okay, Teresa,' I said as I carried her over to where the victim was lying. 'Don't cry, my love. You have nothing to fear. Men like this might think they have power over us. They might even believe we are inferior because of our mixed Creole blood but don't worry. We're too strong to be destroyed. Papa will show you how to be so strong you won't ever have to be afraid of anyone. You don't need to cry, little fawn. You're safe. Papa loves you very much.'
"Teresa started calming down. She loved listening to my voice. Valerie told me Teresa calmed down whenever they listened to my radio program, so I usually tried talking to her first whenever she cried.
"So, I got her to calm down. Then I got her into a clean diaper, but she didn't want to be put down so I held her in my arms until she fell asleep again."
"Awww! How sweet," Rosie gushed.
"At least you think so," Alastor sighed. "The statesman was stunned into shock."
"Oooh, do tell," Rosie pushed.
"The man laid there with his mouth open like a fish until I sat down beside him with Teresa," Alastor continued. "Then he muttered, 'That baby is yours?'
"I replied, 'Of course, she is, my good man. Can't you see the resemblance?'
"Then I held Teresa's face next to mine.
"'My God,' the idiot replied. 'She resembles you.'
"'She does. Doesn't she?' I replied. 'Her name is Teresa. She is my only daughter. Her mother is white. My mother was a colored woman, and my father was a white man. The bigots who run this society would call her a quadroon. They'd claim she's less than human because she contains a drop of negro blood. Now, I can pass as white enough. Her mother is a saint who would never abandon her and the oaf her mother has married claims her as his own, but I don't trust the man to keep his word. He reminds me too much of my father. So, tell me. Despite all this protection, what hope is there for this girl if it's ever discovered that she's illegitimate, that her mother was a former prostitute, or that she contains my black man's blood?'
"The man tried to answer, but I wouldn't let him.
"'That was a rhetorical question,' I replied. 'The answer is fewer than women normally have…"
"Nice comeback," Rosie complimented.
"As I was saying," Alastor continued. "I told him, 'Now, Creole women aren't the doomed souls written about in tragedies or the objects of forbidden desire featured in advertisements. They are resourceful and hardworking. I could help Teresa find a good husband within the community, but what if her dreams are bigger? What if she wants something more? She couldn't get it for no reason other than being a woman of color. Horrible, isn't it? So, what is a good father to do?'
"The man scoffed at me."
"What?" Rosie interjected.
"I'm completely serious," Alastor asserted. "The man had such audacity.
"He said, 'Sir, arranged marriages are becoming out of fashion, but if you want a groom for your daughter, I can help…'"
"Oh, my God. You're not serious," Rosie chuckled. "He thought you were trying to arrange a marriage?"
"Yes," Alastor replied, laughing heartily. "The statesman thought I kidnapped him to find a groom for my daughter before she was even out of diapers. I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity. That caught him off guard.
"'What's so funny?' he asked.
"I replied, 'You are. What makes you think I would want my daughter to marry into your family?'
"The man almost seemed offended. 'But surely you've heard of my sons and their children…'
"I interrupted him, 'Of course, I have. I read about them in the papers. Your sons are Ivy League snobs who never had to deal with any real consequences their whole lives. Their children will be the same, cold-hearted bastards who look down on the rest of us. You'd think I'd let my baby girl be betrothed to men who looked down on her?'"
"Oh, my stars. That was cold," Rose commented.
"The man gasped like a fish," Alastor continued. "It was glorious.
"'What do you want me for then?' he asked.
"'I want your blood,' I replied. 'You see, my baby girl needs power to get through this world and the next, the kind of power only the dark ancestors, spirits, and gods of voodoo can give. But to give her such power, I have to offer them something in return.'
"Oh, you should have seen his face. It was priceless. The man started begging me pitifully and asking me why…"
"As they usually do," Rosie commented.
"So, I told him why, 'In Louisiana voodoo, priestesses have great power and influence. You've doubtlessly heard of the great voodoo queen Marie Laveau. Now, she was powerful without doing what I've done to gain power but imagine how much more she would've had if she had, say, a papa willing to do horrible things to help her gain more. Just think of how many more wealthy and influential people would've been at her beck and call.'
"The man glanced over at Teresa who had fallen fast asleep in my arms by this point.
"'You want to turn her into some fucking voodoo priestess?!' he cried. 'She's only a baby!'
"'Can never start too soon,' I said while carrying her back to her bassinet.
"'What if that's not what she wants, huh?!' the man had the audacity to argue. 'What if she just wants to find a nice boy and get married like every other girl?! Hell, what if she wants to be a fucking nun?! Are you just going to force her to do what you want?!'
"I admit. That gave me some pause. I put my baby down and pat her head for a moment before I finally answered.
"'Do you really think I'd be so cruel as to force my own child to pursue a path she doesn't want like some kind of brute? I have seen the brutality of men. I will not subject her to that nor will I limit her to something to a traditional road. Times are changing for women, you see. A woman's path is something she can choose. However…'
"I picked up my ax and finished, 'That doesn't mean I won't give her everything I can to help her pursue it.'
"Oh, how he hollered. He hollered so much that he woke up Teresa, so I had to gag him and calm her down again. But once she had been calmed down, I started the ritual."
"Oh, yeah?" Rosie asked. "How did that go? You never really talk about your voodoo rituals."
"Voodoo rituals require a certain knowledge specialty to perform," Alastor began. "It can be hard to explain to an outsider. But in simple terms, I took the following steps. First, I sacrificed the man to appease the spirits. Then once the dark spirits were appeased, they possessed my body. Once my body was possessed, I used the spirits' powers to bless myself and my daughter with power from the spirits of the earth. Then when that work was finally done, I asked the spirits to leave me. Once they left, the ritual was complete."
"Oh, that sounds much less complicated than buying souls as an overlord," Rosie commented. "Maybe I should try it."
"It's much more complicated than I make it sound I assure you," Alastor chuckled. "Though admittedly, that is because of the kind of voodoo I partook in. You see, most people who practice voodoo stick to appeasing good spirits, the ones who only ask for sacrifices of food, small animals, or even plants. They ask for good things like blessings, healing, or wisdom from their ancestors, and don't even dare to dabble with the dark ones. The dark spirits I appeased are the ones who grant dark power, so they require more. But it is worthwhile. I did what I did to gain power for myself and then to gain power for my daughter."
"You were such a wonderful father, Alastor," Rosie gushed. "Please do tell me more. What happened next?"
"Well, I couldn't clean up while Teresa was there," explained Teresa. "Besides, she felt scared throughout the ceremony, so attending to her had to be my priority."
"Perfectly reasonable," noted Rosie.
"I picked up my baby and carried her upstairs," Alastor continued. "The poor dear was so frightened, but she calmed down after listening to the radio with me for a while. Once she had, I bundled us both up and carried her outside."
"What on earth would you do that for?" accused Rosie. "Babies get cold very easily, you know."
"I wanted to start teaching Teresa about the ways of voodoo," Alastor explained. "I couldn't very well do that from inside. Could I?"
"Suppose not," shrugged Rosie.
"Anyhow, I grabbed a flashlight and carried Teresa outside," Alastor continued. "It was a chilly but calm night. My manor was far enough away from the city that we could see the stars. The moon was shining brightly enough to light the way.
"Teresa's reaction to the sky was adorable. She perked up and looked around with such wonder in her eyes. I had forgotten how new the world could look through such young eyes. It lent it a different sort of beauty. I haven't thought about it in a long time, but I have never forgotten it."
Alastor sighed happily. Rosie smiled at her friend showing such genuine emotion.
"After that, I carried my baby towards the woods to get a better look at the trees," Alastor explained. "Once we got there, I knelt on the ground, picked up some dirt in my fingers, and showed it to Teresa.
"I asked her, 'Do you know what this is, Teresa? This is earth. It is an essential part of the hoodoo and voodoo magic that our people practice. You see, you cannot always rely on God or Le Bon Dieu as others call him, but you can call on those under him to intercede for you and grant you their power if you appease them: the spirits, the gods, and our ancestors. They live in nature all around us, Teresa. They live in the elements, in the trees, in the leaves, and in the earth that they grow from. My mother, your grandmother, is with them now.
"'These spirits can be good or bad. As you have probably figured out, I serve the dark ones to get power for myself and, now, you. As a future voodoo queen, Teresa, you must decide which ones you want to serve, but there will be time enough for that and for whatever you wish to do later.
"'Fortunately, to that end, papa has asked the dark ones to grant you the power of the earth. The earth is the foundation of our magic and our spells, so it's an essential first step to help your magic gifts advance. As you grow, I'll make more sacrifices to grant you more power, but since you're so young, you need time to grow into your current gifts before you are granted more. Besides, it's never wise to ask too much at once.'
"Just then, Teresa started fussing. I checked for all the usual causes and found that she had soiled herself.
"'What did you do that for?' I teased.
"Teresa only started crying more, so we headed back inside while I bounced her in my arms.
"'Don't worry, my dear,' I assured Teresa. 'I know you won't remember any of this now, but I'll keep reminding you of everything. Don't you worry. There'll be time enough.'"
Rosie was stunned. Alastor's eyes looked sad and wistful. She had rarely seen him like this over anything.
The cannibal overlord reached over and took his hand. She didn't know what to say, but she didn't have to say anything. Alastor gripped her hand and sat up straight before he continued talking.
"I took Teresa inside, changed her diaper, and fed her," he said. "I gave her a bottle while we listened to Christmas carols on the radio, and she fell asleep in my arms. Teresa slept until her mother and stepfather came to get her.
"I wanted to offer to let all three of them stay the night since it was late. The only reason I didn't was because of the corpse in the basement. Instead, after a brief conversation about how the night went, I let the little family leave in their car.
"I felt so angry when I let them walk away, Rosie. Beau put his arms around Valerie and kissed Teresa on the forehead. That man was walking away with my woman and my daughter. The pair of them should have been with me. It wasn't fair.
"I resolved then to kill Beau sooner rather than later. I would have to make it look like an accident but watching him with my girls was something I could no longer tolerate. I'd make it up to Valerie later."
"So, how did that go?" asked Rosie.
"I never got a chance to carry it out," sighed Alastor. "That night, I went to bury the body and that's when those hunters saw me…"
"Don't tell me that was the night you died?!" Rosie exclaimed.
"The very one," Alastor admitted.
"That must have been devastating," Rosie said.
"Oh, you have no idea," Alastor said sadly. "I was devastated. All my plans, everything I hoped for, everything I wanted for my child, my dreams of being with Valerie, everything I hoped for was suddenly gone."
"How did you get through it?" asked Rosie.
Alastor shook his head. "I didn't have a choice. I accepted my situation and found another goal. I didn't have my baby to look after anymore, so I focused on building up my own power instead. I became an overlord to strengthen the bountiful power I came with. I dominated the radio industry. I took out overlords who disrespected me and enslaved others. I became the terror of the Pride Ring, the Radio Demon everyone knows and fears. I continued growing my strength so that I could manipulate the world as I pleased and help my friends along the way."
"As you should," agreed Rosie.
Alastor's expression changed back to a sad smile, "Nevertheless, I promised myself that I would look for Valerie and Teresa once enough time had passed.
"As you probably have guessed, Valerie never arrived. I've checked over Pentagram City multiple times, even after Exterminations, but I've never heard of or seen a demon that might resemble her. Despite what Valerie had to do for survival as a young woman, she was a good person. My guess is that she went to Heaven along with Beau and my mother.
"However, I haven't given up on the search for Teresa. I have kept my ears open, but I had never begun a serious search since it hadn't been enough time for her to die of old age. But now, enough time has."
"So, why do you need our help, Alastor?" Rosie asked.
Alastor straightened up in his chair, "As thorough as I know I was in my search for Valerie, I can't help but wonder if I managed to miss her somehow because I searched for her alone. I don't want to risk missing Teresa the same way. That's why I need your help. I want to find my daughter now that there's nothing to keep us apart. Even with my injury, I can take care of her. We can help each other. After all, her powers have had decades to grow. I can teach her how to use her power and she can help me…"
"Until you have recovered you have recovered your strength," finished Rosie.
"Precisely," Alastor confirmed. "It'll be a mutually beneficial relationship, and I'll have my daughter back. It'll be wonderful."
"In that case, I'm more than happy to continue giving you my help, Alastor," Rosie said. "You know I love happy endings. It'll also be wonderful to see what kind of lady your little girl turned out to be. We just have to wait."
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Oh, that might be some news now!" Rosie exclaimed, immediately getting up and answering the door.
A cannibal messenger boy handed her a large envelope with a telegram before departing.
"It's a message from the scouts," Rosie said, scanning the telegram. "It seems that they may have found a lead, an unusual one. There's a photograph of the sinner in the envelope."
"Already?" Alastor asked. "I must say your people are efficient."
"That they are," replied Rosie, sitting back in her chair. "This says, 'We haven't found any elderly sinners who fit your description, but one of our scouts spotted an unusual candidate who might catch your interest. She is a young woman. People say she died in the 50's and was born in the 30's. People say she has worked with the overlords Carmella Carmine and Zestial for decades, but she has never sold her soul to anyone. She is often spotted in their company. She is a black and white harpy with red eyes and claws with the power to control anything made from the earth. She calls herself Terra and she's a respected fighter in the Destroyed District and the Weapons and Mafia District. Enclosed is a colored photograph of her. We thought the color was necessary so you could see her eyes. The young lady was last spotted living at Zestial's palace.'"
"Interesting," Alastor pondered. "She certainly has a lot going for her, but there's a good chance that it's only a wild goose chase. The girl sounds far too young. I would have noticed her sooner."
"But we might as well check their photograph since they went out of their way to find color film for it," Rosie said, opening the envelope.
"I suppose," Alastor said, sipping his tea.
Rosie pulled the photograph out of the envelope and exclaimed, "Oh. My. Stars!"
"What's the matter?" Alastor asked curiously.
"Look at this picture!" Rosie said, placing the photo down on the table. "Her eyes, her stare, the shape of her head! She looks just like you!"
Alastor took the photo and his eyes grew wide. She was right.
"Oh, my God," Alastor said, absolutely stunned. "She does, but you're only partially correct."
"What?" asked Rosie incredulously.
Alastor explained, "She has my eyes and some of my features, but just like in life, she looks more like Valerie. This has to be Teresa. Ask your scouts to follow her."
"Alright, Alastor," said Rosie, getting to her feet and heading to her telegraph system. "I'll send out a call right away."
Alastor's eyes continued studying the photograph.
The young lady resembled both him and her mother. She had his eyes, his head shape, and his dark hair color from life certainly, but she had her mother's nose, lips, and physical build. Those traits managed to follow her into her demon form.
The young woman was a harpy. She had large white wings with black spots on the bottom. Her skin was snow white. Her claws were red. Her feet were black claws with visible red lines. Her shoulder length hair and lips were black. Her striking eyes were two shades of red, the exact same as Alastor's. She wore a black tank top, black pants, and a black leather jacket.
Alastor had many questions. He didn't know where Teresa had been, how she had escaped his notice, why she had died so young, if she even knew who he was to her, why she had hid herself if she did, and why the overlords helped her stay hidden if that was the case.
But for a moment, the Radio Demon was content to look at his baby, his Teresa, all grown up, at last.
Alone in the room, Alastor let tears form at the corner of his eyes. She was so beautiful.