All converge on the Masqued Ball in Venice:
The scene was dazzling. Candles flickered on the walkways, on tables
in small private nooks, in niches in stone walls. Where candles were
impractical, there were flickering magical fairy lights. The trees and
shrubberies twinkled whenever a breeze stirred their leaves. The scent of
jasmine and gardenia spilled out over the gardens. The canal to
their left caught and reflected the moonlight in its lazy waves,
doubling and tripling the ambient light. The sound of those waves,
gondolas slapping against them, the tinkling of the fountain, the
strains of a waltz played by an orchestra inside the ballroom drowned
out any airplanes or boat motors that might have dared disturb the
spells cast to make the place just right.
They were alone even as other couples or singles brushed past them,
still not quite entirely manifest until they took their first step.
Julian, not bothering to wait to find a drinks table, since here magic
ruled, conjured up two glasses of champagne and handed Nimue one. "To
a wonderful evening."
She echoed his sentiment, and they drank. The smile on her face was
undeniable. "I've been looking forward to seeing some old friends. Not
To mention Adele and Alex, Estella and Ray."
"And Andrei in a tux." Julian agreed. "So, shall we join the mob on the
dance floor, or shall we go looking fo-"
"Nimue!" Came a shout from behind them. "Nim! Nim!"
They turned to see what appeared to be a crazy old man running towards
them at full speed. He wore a long black robe and what looked like a
Sleeping cap. His beard was long, white, and a mess. He was, quite
obviously, drunk. To Julian, he looked like an insane Da Vinci.
Nimue laughed as he skidded to a halt in front of them. "Hello,
Rambaldi."
He grinned, and pulled her into a bear hug. "My God woman, you're
nearly naked. How delightful. I like this one much better then that
bluish corseted bustled thing you wore last time. There is a much
better view of your ass in that outfit."
She laughed again. "Julian, this is Rambaldi. Rambaldi, my date,
Julian. Rambaldi here is a kind of an alchemist\inventor\prophet type
person."
"And mad as a hatter." He agreed, as he shook Julian's hand.
Julian looked the fellow up and down and finally opined, "The mad are
the only people who are truly interesting."
"Ha!" said Rambaldi approvingly.
"So, what's the plan this time?" She asked Rambaldi, leaning in secretively.
"The same as last time, my dear. I have, in fact, just popped in from
the 1905 ball, fireworks in tow. Do you remember the look on that cow
Glinda's face whenever one set off fireworks under that pink tent she
calls a dress? I have some to share. Would you like a roman candle?" He
began reaching under his robe.
"No, thank you. Unfortunately, I have no where to hide it." She
laughed.
"Well, that much is certain." Rambaldi agreed, leaving his robes in
tact. "I'm off to make mischief, me dear. Do run interference later for
me if I need it."
"Always."
As he ran off, Nimue turned to Julian. "You have some strange friends."
He said.
"Are you kidding me? That's you as an old man." She teased.
Julian smiled. "I should be so lucky."
"I think you're pretty lucky now, considering that you get to grope my
ass all night. I've heard it looks quite nice in this dress."
"It does." Julian said, turning her just slightly to admire it.
A Russian accented voice came from behind Julian. "I agree with that."
Nimue peeked around Julian to see a young man in his mid twenties. His
hair and short, scraggly beard were both black, and he wore glasses over
his blue eyes. An ordinary black tuxedo and a clear drink finished off his look.
"Gregori? I didn't know if I'd be seeing you here."
"Well, I was grandfathered in, as it were."
Nimue groaned. "Julian, Gregori Rasputin."
"Not that one. He was my ancestor."
"Yes, I know."
"Oh, you aren't... Couldn't possibly be... The strategist? I've heard
the stories."
Julian sighed. "Yes. I am. I was a bit, uhm, wild in those days."
Julian reached out to shake Gregori's hand, but Gregori waved him off.
"Sorry, friend, I don't do that. It has nothing to do with you."
"Gregori is one of the most powerful seers you will ever find, if not
the most powerful." Nimue explained.
Gregori laughed, and took another drink. "Luckily, man invented vodka.
Enough of this and I won't see anything but double." He turned to
Nimue. "So, you've brought a date. Hayden will be heartbroken."
Nimue frowned. "Hayden is here?"
"Somewhere, making connections and selling his wares. The man is all
business since you. . ." He gestured with the glass. "What is it that
you did, exactly?"
"Nothing you should be concerned with." She glared at him. "I wonder if
I can dodge him all night."
"Good luck. I tell you what." He downed the rest of the glass quickly.
"You give me a dance tonight, and I'll help you avoid Hayden. And a
good one, too. I wish to acquire a playmate of my own. So long as it is
ok with you, friend?" He looked to Julian.
"Nimue may do as she pleases."
"She always does. Ah, perhaps you could help me with that one?" He
pointed past Nimue. "She is lovely."
Nimue and Julian turned, and on the other side of the room, spotted
Adele, and Alex not far away. The grinned at each other.
"I think that one is taken, too."
"The good ones always are. My glass is empty. I'll see you later to
collect that dance."
Nimue nodded at him, and Gregori walked off. She turned to Julian.
"Shall we go say hello? What?" she added as she realize Julian was
suddenly, covering his face.
"Uhm, nothing. Nothing at all. Yes, let's go greet Adele and Alex. He
looks smashing, doesn't he."
As they walked toward Adele and Alex, a woman drifted over to stand
between them and their goal.
"Julian," she said.
Then she slapped him.
"Ah, I'm not entirely certain I deserved that, Esmee."
"I am. You left me with the bar tab," she replied with narrowed
eyes. "You'd bought drinks for the entire garrison."
"Oh, ah, yes, I had, hadn't I?" Julian replied. "Sorry, darling. It
seemed such a shame to wake you. You looked so beautiful lying there in
bed."
"Liar."
Julian looked shocked. "Not about that, surely."
"And who is this?" she asked peering at Nimue.
"Ah, Nimue. Nimue, Esmee."
"He'll break your heart, leave you for a man, and make you pay for the
privilege," Esmee commented, whilst glaring at a surprisingly chastened
Julian.
"Then he's in fine company." Came a voice from directly behind Nimue.
Nimue froze. She turned to look Julian in the eyes, and her expression
was a combination of oh, no, and I'm sorry. She took a deep breath and
turned.
"Hayden." She offered him her hand.
He looked at it sceptically. "Is that what it's come to between us?
Very well." He took her hand delicately in his, but instead of shaking
it, he brought it up to his lips and kissed it.
She withdrew the hand a little abruptly. "Hayden, this is Julian, my
date. And this seems to be . . Esmee, was it?" She gestured
absentmindedly at the strange woman in their company.
He nodded at Julian and turned to Esmee. "I wouldn't worry so much
about Nimue, my dear. She has a habit of making men fall in love with
her and then vanishing without a trace. He should be the careful one."
"Good." Esmee sneered at Julian.
"Hayden, Julian and I were just-" She began, but got cut off by
Gregori, who grabbed her arm from behind.
"Nimue! Hayden is on his way over - oh. Sorry, friend." He mumbled, as
he caught sight of the man himself. He very quickly turned and walked
off.
"Trying to avoid me?" Hayden asked her.
Nimue opened her mouth to make some excuse, but at that precise moment
there was a loud explosion and a large pink flaming thing screamed by
them. Nimue grabbed Julian, and hauled him off while their two ex
lovers were distracted.
"With any luck they'll find a bed," was Julian's assessment. "You
see," Julian said, but it wasn't entirely clear if he was referring to
the pink flaming thing or their past loves, "this is why I generally
don't come to these things. They're so utterly...."
"Ah, Maggie," he continued with barely a break in his words, as the
lovely redhead dressed to kill, suddenly stepped into existence only a
few strides away. "Or should I say Fingula. It's really not that awful
a name." At her look he added hastily, "Or perhaps it is. As you
wish, my lovely."
Adele hurried over, towing Alex behind her. Alex, having never come to
something quite like this before was gawping at the flying pink thing.
When he looked down he found himself gawping at Maggie.
She posed.
Meanwhile Ray and Estella had also arrived only to find a flying pink
thing coming at them. With a flick of his wrist Ray changed it's
trajectory and incidentally caused it to turn into a flying cranberry
coloured thing. Off it went in search of .. Well, whatever. Ray and
Estella looked around. Estella felt right at home. Romany family
reunions were generally this weird. Granted it often took an hour or
two to get that way, though.
Ray spotted Julian's blond head across the courtyard. Then he could
hardly help but gawp at Nimue in that dress. Alex was gawping too, but
Ray couldn't tell exactly at which woman. Adele was resplendent
But relatively reserved. At least if someone would put a towel over her
breasts.. Nimue was... Virtually naked. He swallowed.
Michael and Mary meanwhile, stepped into existence in an entirely
different venue. They were in the depths of the gardens rather than
where the majority of party-goers were gathering near the fountain.
Back here it was secluded and cozily dark. Various combinations of
...personages seemed to be taking advantage of the relative privacy.
Mary laughed. "Just like home."
Trevor StCyr meanwhile stepped into what looked like a gentleman's
club. Older mages and wizards and necromancers were sitting about in
wing chairs filling the air with dense smoke. No, they did not have
cigars in their mouths.
One old man caught Trevor's eye. "Sorcerers that way," he said
pointing imperiously. "Alchemists, that," pointing in another
direction.
"But I'm neither..." Trevor began to say but was cut off by a short
woman leaning on a rather decrepit looking cane. "Oh, he's one of
_those_. _That_ way for you, son," she said not unkindly.
Trevor raised an eyebrow. "I wonder what sort she thought me," he
muttered, following the directions her finger had given him for lack of
any other inspiration. God knows he had no desire to sit around in a
Club room listening to wise old men, and women, explain how the younger
generations were going to the dogs. He exited the clubby library into
a darkened courtyard.
A quiet voice with just a trace of a Gaelic accent said, "Trevor
Raine?"
He turned, saw a short blond man with a slightly taller female
companion, both dressed to the nines.
"Michael?" he returned. They shook hands, and Trevor bowed to Mary and
kissed her hand, making her blush. "Have you ever been to one of these
before?" Trevor asked.
"Oh, one or two," Michael replied, "and they're all the same. Someone
sets off roman candles and the whole thing ends in a debacle. Or is
that a coracle?"
The other members of the Cliff Road Crowd converged in one spot, happy
to see familiar faces, glad to share the faint embarrassment of having
fuzzled in public. "Nimue," said Maggie from behind her veil, "that's quite
the dress, or rather, lack of one." "Yeah," said Ray, quietly, but not
quietly enough, because Estella whacked him with the falcon mask. "That's
just too funny, Estella," Adele giggled. "How clever of you. But you didn't
bring the real Andrei," she pouted to Ray. "I so wanted to see him in that
little tux." "I think there are enough magical things whizzing through the
air," said Ray as a flock of striped flamingos flew overhead, "without a
falcon."
Alex, who was familiar with magic but not on this scale, ducked as
one of the flamingos dive-bombed him. Fortunately, being magical, it didn't
crap on him, too. "Is it always like this?" he asked.
"Oh, yes," Julian and Nimue said in unison.
"Trevor, do you know everyone here?" Adele asked.
Trevor, whose eyes had been on a woman who'd just run past, turned and said,
"No, I'm sorry. I don't remember ever meeting Mr Goldanias."
"Well, that's easily enough mended. Alex, this is Trevor, Trevor, Alex."
They were by far the two tallest ones in the group, Trevor only an inch or so shorter
than Alex. Two pairs of storm grey eyes assessed one another. Trevor held out his
hand, "Delighted. We've corresponded of course, but I don't recall ever
having had a moment to speak with you in person."
"Nor I you," Alex said. "I thank you for.."
Trevor shook his head. "Pleased to do it, but things best forgotten for tonight."
(a reference to Trevor's help with what to do regarding police investigating Janine's
disappearance)
A sentiment with which Alex heartily agreed.
A noise behind him made Trevor turn his head. Adele had been just about to introduce
him to Maggie, when Trevor paled. Adele looked to see what had made him do
so. Trevor's eyes were on Maggie. Her face was hidden behind the veil, only
an outline visible through it. Adele looked from Trevor to Maggie and back
again. "Oh!" she said. She quickly followed that with, "Trevor, please allow
me to present Maggie Bruce." Maggie lifted her veil and Trevor studied her
face for a moment before he moved or spoke. Then with a sharp exhalation of
breath, he bowed at the waist and said, "I expect I owe you an apology."
Maggie stared up into Trevor's eyes. "Apology accepted," she said with a smile.
"You'll have to explain to me why it was necessary."
She shot a puzzled look at Adele, who shrugged, and then winked.
"Perhaps I'll explain later."
That look Maggie saw in his eye looked promising. Like
maybe he wasn't nearly as reserved and proper as she'd first
thought him. Hmmm. And the look he'd just given her skin
tight pants promised interesting possibilities too.
Adele said, "Trevor dances beautifully, Maggie. Drag him
out onto the dance floor."
"I think a simple request might work just as well," Trevor said.
"Shall we then?" Maggie asked.
"Thought you'd never ask," replied Trev.