Disclaimer: Berusaiyu no Bara & all characters © ® All Rights Reserved Ikeda
Productions 1972-1973, Tokyo Movie Shinsha Co. 1979-1980.
Except faux Oscar
Part 7: Nightmares
by Aria(crune@coqui.net)
It was raining the morning that Lis led Andre out to Oscar. It had
been quite early--the sun still hadn't come up. The heavy silence that hung
around them was more brutal than blows or screams.
Lis, on her part, was seriously regretted agreeing to take Andre to
Oscar. Inwardly, she was musing of her own foolishness. How many times had
she heard that a person could get burned while playing with fire?
Her main concern was how it would interfere with her own plans. She
frowned deeply.
You didn't really have any elaborate schemes up your sleeve, did you?
a voice nagged.
I did, I know I did, she thought. However, at the moment she had no
idea what to do next. Return the Commander--then what? I guess I'm not the
brilliant tactician I thought I was, then again I don't usually go off on my
own...
Beside Lis, bursting with impatience, Andre only thought of Oscar.
If I could just see her again, I might just convince myself that this
has all been some horrible nightmare...
"We're here," Lis' voice interrupted his thoughts.
He shook his head to clear it, noticing how they had arrived at an
old building not very far away from the mansion. It looked like some sort of
abandoned shack.
She had the gall to lock Oscar in a place so near to her home? Fury
burned in his eyes.
Lis took a key from her pocket and met his gaze--neutrally...and then
smiled.
Andre closed his eyes, fighting the impulse to throttle her.
Lis opened the front door and silently led him down a small dark
corridor to a closed door. Taking another key from her pocket, she opened the
door and gestured for him to walk in first with a mocking smile.
Andre didn't even look at her as he walked, pausing only to survey
the room. It was almost empty, save for a medium-sized table where a tray
with old-looking bread and a pitcher of water lay with two cups. Beside it,
to the far left, was a small bed. On top of it was Oscar's unmoving form.
With heart-stopping alarm he rushed to her side. He shook her gently.
"Oscar."
Seeing her lack of reaction, he shook her a bit more forcefully.
"Oscar wake up!"
He turned, seeing Lis slouching comfortably on the back wall.
"What have you done to her?" He asked quietly, a dangerous note of
warning in his voice.
Lis was unruffled. "Drop the threatening tone, it doesn't suit you."
Andre gently laid Oscar's prone form back on the bed and stood up. He
walked slowly towards Lis.
"What. Have. You. Done. To. Her."
For a second, Lis lost her composure and a look of pure venom masked
her normally neutral features. Shocked at the crack in her aloof demeanor,
Andre stopped his advance. However, almost as soon as the look touched her
features, it quickly faded, covered once more by indifference.
"I haven't done anything to her. If you'd keep your head on for just
a second you'd notice her breathing is fine, her pulse is fine."
"Then why doesn't she wake up?"
Lis rolled her eyes and then smirked. She casually straightened from
her lounging position and approached the table. She picked up one of the cups.
"Laudanum," she said simply, "all purpose tranquilizer. Guaranteed to
give anyone sweet dreams."
"You drugged her," he said angrily.
"Would you have been happier if I had taken a thick branch and
slammed it on her head? Or would you rather I had shot her, just like you
originally thought I did?"
Andre shook with barely restrained anger.
Lis chose to ignore it. "Besides, I didn't force her to drink
anything. In fact, I think if she were awake she'd actually thank me for
being so considerate as to leave her the laudanum. After all, being calmly
asleep is better than being worn out by being locked in a room for more than
two days."
***
There were voices. Not very loud voices, but if she concentrated she
could make out what they were saying.
"Forget it," a familiar male voice said in an angry tone, "I don't
care. What matter is that she's fine. You can just leave. I can find my way
back."
The other voice was smoother, almost lyrical in its husky tone; "I
have matters to settle."
The male voice retaliated harshly, "I don't care. Do what you want--
just leave me and her alone!"
This last exclamation made Oscar open her eyes. Her eyelids seemed so
heavy--as did her body...all her surroundings were fading and yet turning
brighter. She tried to sort this out, but soon gave up and just focused on
the two blurry figures in front of her. Their backs were turned to her.
The one to her left was tall and slim, her blonde hair reaching her
waist. She wore a plain riding outfit, much like one she owned.
The other had dark hair and was more heavy set than the girl.
Of course, thought Oscar, dazedly--obviously he's be more heavy set--
he's a man...and the other...she looks like me...
The girl spoke in a neutral tone, "I don't have to answer to you,
Andre."
Andre! His name was familiar...she racked her brain. Ah yes! She
thought triumphantly, my friend Andre. The girl is arguing with him...the
girl looks like me...I argue with him too...and she came to a conclusion.
She was dreaming.
Oscar smiled faintly. The girl is me. I'm arguing with Andre. He's
telling me not to do something. He's not the boss of me.
Oscar was very confused. But if she's me...why am I here? I should be
her. I should be with her. She's me...
She was starting to get a headache and suddenly it was very important
for her to get back to 'herself'--the self in front of her that was arguing
with Andre. Oscar willed herself to stand, even while the argument was
getting more vehement.
"I'm not letting you stay!" Andre yelled.
She needed to get back to 'herself'; maybe if she didn't then Andre
would win the argument. Oscar couldn't let that happen.
She came up behind herself and linked her arms around 'her' waist.
She could sense 'her' own surprise and 'she' tensed.
"Don't worry," she said to 'herself' softly, "I'm with you now. You
can't lose."
She felt dizzy all of a sudden and lost her balance. Luckily 'she'
caught her.
Oscar saw everything getting darker; she felt her legs giving out
from underneath her, but didn't fall, she was aware that 'she' was supporting
her.
She heard Andre from a distance, "Get you hands off her...*now*."
She felt someone try to pry her away from herself. Oscar struggled
blindly, clawing and biting like a wild animal, screaming like a banshee all
the while.
"Leave me alone! Leave me alone! Leave me alone!"
"Oscar--it's me, Andre."
"Leave me alone Andre!" She screamed, holding tightly to 'herself'.
No one would break her, no one, not even her friend. She wouldn't let him.
Her arms tightened around 'herself'. She didn't need anyone's help! She was
fine on her own.
"Get the hell away from her Andre if you know what's good for you,"
'she' said in an impossibly cold voice.
"What have you done?" he asked harshly.
"I mean it Andre. You're making it worse."
"I don't believe you."
"I don't care. Don't be a fool, can't you tell that you're
triggering whatever mental lapse she's having?"
"You caused it," Andre said acidly.
"And you're making it worse, so get away."
Oscar was proud of 'herself'. That's the way things were handled. She
had nothing to fear now. She was fine; slowly she felt herself drift off.
***
Lis placed Oscar's unconscious form back on the bed.
"In case you're wondering--the laudanum did this."
Andre turned his back to her, "I know."
Lis shrugged, "Just to let you know, when she really wakes up, she
probably won't remember a thing. I don't have any idea when she's going to
wake up though. I don't know when she drank the laudanum. Probably, judging
by the fact that she was awake, sort of, I suspect she'll be up pretty soon."
"Why can't you just give me Oscar and leave."
"Because I need to talk to her when she wakes."
"About?"
"None of your damn business."
"What's stopping me from just taking Oscar and leaving?"
"The chaos when I go the Jarjayes'. I can see it now--another mess
involving impostors and such."
"Oscar doesn't have a scar."
Lis eyes narrowed dangerously, "Don't play games, unless you're
willing to pay the price, Andre. Besides, do you think Oscar is going to be
very friendly to you in her delirious dreams? I wonder what would people
think if they saw Oscar screaming at her best friend, would they be convinced
*she* is the real one?"
She saw him flinch and smiled. "Oscar is fine, Andre just go to the
mansion and be happy. This is what you wanted isn't it?"
He stayed motionless for a moment and then his shoulders dropped in
resignation.
He moved to pick Oscar up, Lis draped a dark cloak around the girl
and they headed outside.
It doesn't really matter what Lis plans to do, he thought as he held
Oscar. What matter is that Oscar is fine. I'm sure that she'll know what to
do with Lis. She can't possibly be considering harming Oscar now--she's had
too many opportunities to do that already.
It's all right now, he thought with his jaw set in determination.
***
Oscar awoke in her own bed, in her own nightclothes. Had everything
been a nightmare?
She sighed and stretched.
"Good morning," a familiar voice said to her left.
She turned her head abruptly and practically darted at the figure
leaning against the window.
"Stop right there!" she yelled almost out of impulse, forgetting for
a moment the strangeness of encountering a person that could be her own
mirror image.
Her look-alike smiled cheerfully and raised her arms. "I assure you,
I'm harmless," she said, "Besides if I had wanted to dispose of you, I could
have done so quite a while ago."
Oscar narrowed her eyes; she fought the impulse to try to fight the
girl, considering it more prudent to ask questions first.
"Who are you?"
To her surprise the girl extended a slender hand. "Lisette. Call me
Lis--everyone else does."
Oscar looked at her suspiciously. The girl chuckled. "Oh, come now. I
don't bite."
"You're asking me to trust you after you impersonated me, got me sent
to jail and then locked me in a room for three days?"
"Um...actually I think it was more like five", Lis smiled, "but who's
counting anyway?"
She saw Oscar's glare, "Okay, I'm sorry. Maybe it wasn't the nicest
thing to do."
Oscar almost screamed with frustration. "What do you want?"
Lis sighed. "I suppose I'm going about this the wrong way aren't I?
Where do you want me to start?"
Oscar sat on her bed. "Why did you do all this?"
She sighed once more. "I had a contract."
"Contract? What kind of contract?"
"I see there's no point in being subtle with you Oscar Francois, is
there?"
"Just go on."
"My employer wants the heir to the throne dead."
Oscar gasped.
"Let me finish before you say anything--anyway he also wanted to
darken your image, so to speak, a bit. That was what the ring and that
occurrence with Marie Antoinette was about."
"That was you, wasn't it?"
"Of course."
"Who's your employer?"
"I'm not at liberty to say."
"Well you better be--this is a matter of national security," Oscar
said thinly.
"I could care less and besides--you can't touch him, he's completely
clean. However, if you'll listen to what I have to say--"
"So why did you impersonate me?"
Lis rolled her eyes. "It's complicated."
"Try me."
"Let's just say that it wasn't in my best interests to satisfy my
employer's wishes."
"Why?"
Lis looked at Oscar blankly. "Anyway, predictably, my employer has
tried to find a way to eliminate me."
"You changed the subject."
"He sent out four assassins some days ago."
"Aren't you going to answer my question?"
"Let it go for now, Oscar Francois."
Oscar glared at her, but didn't press the question.
"Luckily, they were all amateurs."
"What are you going to do now?"
Lis looked at Oscar impassively, "I don't know."
Oscar's eyes widened. "You mean you went through all the trouble of
impersonating me for nothing?"
"Not for nothing. I don't doubt for a second my employer would have
found a way to be rid of you."
"It doesn't make sense. If it goes the way you described it, it would
have been enough for me to be in jail for his plans to succeed."
Lis cleared her throat uncomfortably. "That's why I went through all
the trouble of impersonating you."
"What?"
"He was to busy hunting *me* down for disobeying his orders to worry
about his original plans."
Oscar could only stare dumbfounded.
Lis turned her back on Oscar. "I don't care about your damn king. It
wasn't him I was protecting. I wasn't protecting anyone," she said in a harsh,
raw tone.
There was a brief silence.
"Well", she said after tolerating the silence for several seconds,
"Oscar Francois, say something!"
"What are you going to do now?"
Lis laughed, "I believe I already answered that, Oscar Francois."
"Do you have any idea?"
"Actually", Lis turned to face her, "I was thinking of giving my
regards to my employer. However if I do that he'll be after me again,
correction--he'll be after you--after all, he believes that you're dead."
"I can deal with that," Oscar said roughly.
"Don't be a fool, Oscar Francois," Lis said harshly, "your honor
bound sword skills won't stand against highly trained assassins armed to the
teeth."
Oscar's face darkened, but she made no move to disagree. "So what
other option is there?"
"To place most of my cards on the table, let him know you're alive."
"Won't he still want to eliminate me?"
She shrugged, "Probably, but not while I present the bigger threat."
"He'd be an idiot to just focus on you."
Lis smiled, "No, just a perfectionist. He wants his high-scale
assassination to be flawless."
"You seem to know quite a bit about him."
"I'm familiar with his type."
"Okay, so what do you want from me and why should I trust you?"
"I want your help".
"Why should I give it?"
"Because you don't want to see the heir die."
"And my second question?"
"Because, you can't run the risk of *not* trusting me. Do you want to
be known as the commander that didn't do her job right? I wonder what
repercussions would there be if the heir died while he was under your
protection."
"I'll never let that happen!"
Lis smiled, "I want to see my employer succeed just as much as you do.
Join me, Oscar Francois". She extended her hand.
Oscar thought a long moment, wondering about Lis' motives, who her
employer was...and the possibility of the unthinkable...
She couldn't...*wouldn't* have the heir's blood on her hands. She
would succeed and prove to all she was capable of being an *excellent*
commander.
And so she slowly nodded and grasped Lis' outstretched hand.
to be continued...
END part 7
On laudanum:
An interesting source of info on laudanum I found is in
http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/heroin/history/laudlady.htm
Confessions of a Lady Laudanum Drinker, I believe it's called.
Anyway laudanum in essence is opium. It's a normal tranquilizer,
but like all, if used too much it can become addictive. It was
*very* common in the 1700-1800s. (
geocities.com/tokyo/highrise/Highrise) (
geocities.com/tokyo/highrise) (
geocities.com/tokyo)