LoJ: Part II, chapter 3

LoJ: Part II, chapter 3 by The Mana Priestess

PART II: FLORINA

Chapter 3: Sword of Light

     Florina was awake, yet she was also dreaming. Outside her window, the pale morning hours were infused with voices of people and a cheerless winter sunshine, as the city went on with its life, like it did every day; but she heard and saw nothing of it. She lay in her great bed, her thin body engulfed by the silken sheets, feeling as if the rippling blue that surrounded her acquired energy and life, sweeping under her body in a gentle, incessant motion, turning into a living, whispering sea in which she was slowly drowning. Her grey eyes were open, fixed on the white ceiling, and it turned into a vision of pale shadowy skies. She could not move a limb, her body inert, she felt frozen and powerless and helpless.
     Her mind wandered; she was back in her childhood days, when her mother was still alive, before she had shed her first tears. One silent spring morning, when the heavy mist still hung in the atmosphere, her father took her down to a little patch of wildness skirting the edge of the city. The meadows rolled to the horizon like a billowing sea of green, slowly vanishing into the obscuring haze, and Florina, joyful to be out in the open air, wandered a little distance away, collecting the small white flowers that peeped at her from between the blades of short spring grass. The sun gently illuminated the world, and for a moment, the mist concealed even the sight of the towering city a short distance away; and for that moment Florina fancied the meadow to be endless, thinking that if she steps beyond the dewy white curtain there might be another land waiting to receive her. For that moment, she felt the blissful sensation of freedom, a distance calling her to follow it. That memory of the misty meadow and that intense emotion of serene joy sometimes recurred in her dreams, where the meadow turned into a different world, a bright, beautiful, infinite vista. Even now, she felt herself drifting towards it gently, towards the beautiful vision of sun and wind and light, drifting away from the cramped, dark, stifling folds of her bed, from the cold city of jewels, from the smells and sounds of death that had surrounded her for many years now.
     It can’t be, she thought dazedly. It’s not nightfall yet; it’s morning. I can’t be dreaming; but could it be, could it be my last dream?
     And then she heard something else; a voice calling her back towards the cool greyness, a warm hand resting across her chill brow. But it drew her towards the same paralyzing confines of her body, and she resisted it. The sensation of drifting away recurred; she longed to leave the binding limits of her cramped, frail, spent body, and glide towards that sunlit dream-vision.
     Then the voice became sharp, piercing, insistent; it became demanding, commanding, tyrannical. It exerted a strength of will that Florina was unable to defy, that she had to obey.
     For what have I ever done, whispered a voice inside her mind, but obey the will of others?
     She will have to give up the sunlit dream for a little while more.

     That wintry morning found Rubens walking down the back corridor of the Jumi palace towards one of the small, luxuriously decorated rooms dotted along the wall. This corridor was a generally secluded place, but its numerous tiny rooms were, by Diana’s orders, arranged with beautiful and antique furniture. It was a good place to retreat to if you wished for privacy, and the corridor consequently acquired the dubious nickname, “Lovers’ Lane”.
     Rubens’ business in the corridor on that day was, however, of a less frivolous nature. Black Pearl had finally performed her long-expected return to the city on the previous day, and after her meeting with Diana and Rubens, she had ordered Rubens to meet her in one of the rooms adjacent to the back hall for a short conference on the following morning.
     He wondered what she wished to say, and guessed that she required an extended report regarding the condition of the Clarius. Pushing one of the doors open, he entered a room decorated mostly in frosty cream and pearl-grey, curiously cool colors that glimmered in the wintry sunlight. Black Pearl was standing with her back against the door, watching the city below. She turned slowly as the councilor entered and signaled him to be seated. Her clothes of gold and silver merged with the room nicely, and the only jarring article of her costume was the scarlet scarf tied around her waist, that appeared like a stain of blood on the pale background. Rubens himself was clad in his habitually intense ruby colors, and as he seated himself on the white sofa he was aware that he himself merged uneasily with this cold, snowy room.
     He now examined Black Pearl as she stood with her back to the ivory curtains, her stately figure perfectly poised in her usual manner. On the surface she appeared unchanged since that day she left, almost four months ago; but Rubens had discerned something in her dark eyes that made him uneasy, on his guard; an unsettled fever that appeared to burn constantly and without rest.
     He wondered what happened to her during those long months. The report she gave to Diana last night had been rather sparse, and she appeared more interested to pursue her inquiry about the condition of the city, and any important events that occurred since she left. Of her mission she said, shortly, that it was a success, and that she was pleased with the information she managed to gather from the tower. Apparently she entered it using Florina’s translations of the runic incantations without much difficulty; and she did not give an explanation as to why her absence had been lengthy. Diana, tired after a long day, did not pursue a thorough inquiry; at any rate, Black Pearl, if she so chose, could not be forced to disclose the full details of her mission against her will. Rubens suddenly wondered if the authority she wielded gave her a little too much power, and whether anyone would ever be able to stop her if she used it for ill. He knew that he himself could not, not when such powers were at her disposal, such dark witchcraft stemming from the peculiar qualities of her core.
     Trying to put these misgivings out of his mind— after all, Black Pearl had never given them a reason to mistrust her, and indeed, she always used her abilities for the good of the city— he waited silently for her to speak. She begun doing so without much ado, but remained standing against the window, her back to the white winter morning.
     “Thank you for coming, councilor. I wish to discuss a matter with you that appears to me to be highly questionable.”
     “What matter is that, my lady?” asked Rubens. He leant against the silvery pillows of the sofa, his eyes maintained on Black Pearl’s face, attempting not to betray his growing unease. Black Pearl’s aspect was forbidding, her black eyes burned darkly; and yet, she was still the most beautiful woman that Rubens had ever seen, and indeed, he had almost forgotten how beautiful she was. Standing tall, regal and proud, crowned by the glorious hair that rippled in dark golden waves to the back of her knees, she glowed in a splendor that was almost unearthly, almost daunting. She had certainly altered, thought Rubens; an alteration subtle, but powerful; superficially, she was the same, and yet the difference was marked. It was as if that elusive, potent change drew on an inner source that had always been present, yet never fully revealed before; as if an inner flame, hitherto dim, had flared up all at once, bringing the colors of its vessel into blazing life, into sharp relief by its radiance.
     Did something happen to her, Rubens wondered, to render this strange, incomprehensible change? And why would she not mention it, if something indeed happened?
     “The matter is this,” Black Pearl said, her voice— a voice almost equally beautiful as the woman herself— jerking Rubens out of his troubled reverie. “I was not aware that I allowed any new policies to be passed regarding the position of the Knight of Clarius.”
     Then this is the matter, thought Rubens, not particularly surprised. He stirred, shifted his body slightly, and thought of Alex, and the constant inconveniences and disturbances he had caused in the last few months with his insistence to guard Florina’s health and well-being before the ill Jumi’s. But he said nothing.
     Receiving no reply, Black Pearl said: “I was informed that during my absence the Clarius had been prevented from healing Jumi several times, by orders of her current knight. Tell me: is this a policy ordained by yourself or any other councilor?”
     Rubens was obliged to answer. “No, my lady.”
     “Why was it allowed to be enforced, then?” asked Black Pearl, her voice turning sharp.
     Rubens only met Alex several times, but he had taken a liking to the young Knight of Clarius, and was loath to betray him. He tried to phrase his answer carefully. “My lady, the Clarius Florina had been under a severe strain lately. The orders of the knight were not sanctioned by the council, but he was provided support because of these unusual conditions.”
     “What unusual conditions?” asked Black Pearl, her mouth thinning.
     “An unusual outbreak of Core Waning,” answered Rubens.
     “There has been many outbreaks of Core Waning before,” Black Pearl stated curtly.
     “I think that, because of the limited time we had given our conference last night, Diana had not fully clarified quite how severe this particular outbreak had been,” Rubens answered. “The numbers of sick Jumi had been almost twice of the outbreak of five years ago. It was the worst outbreak that I can recall in over five decades.”
     As Rubens had anticipated, this gave Black Pearl a pause. She stood still, her expression distant, mulling, perhaps, over the implication of this disclosure. After a short silence she turned, her profile to Rubens, her eyes wandering to the window again.
     “We can’t do without Florina,” she remarked.
     “Florina has been on the point of death twice now, my lady,” answered Rubens calmly.
     “This is unfortunate, for I still need her scholastic knowledge,” commented Black Pearl, the lingering shadow intensifying inside her eyes for a moment. “An alternate solution will have to be found. Sapphire, perhaps, though her tears are lacking in power. But we shall discuss this matter fully later. I wish to return to the subject of the present Knight of Clarius.”
     Wary, apprehensive, Rubens asked: “What of him, my lady?”
     “I have made some inquiries pertaining to the Alexandrite Jumi,” Black Pearl replied. There was something in her expression that alerted Rubens with a sudden premonition of evil tidings; and he waited for her to continue, his heart sinking within him. He looked into the darkness of Black Pearl’s eyes and a strange feeling overcame him. It’s death, he understood suddenly, with a strange chill in his heart; it’s death that I see in her eyes. Someone’s death. And he hoped that it was not Alex’s.
     Through his jumbled thoughts, he could hear Black Pearl speaking, narrating her discovery about Alex. “This Alex,” she said, “has been working with a double purpose in this city, working for his own ends. And though I know that his enterprise would come to naught, I must lure him into confirming my suspicions before I decide on his fate.”
     “What,” asked Rubens quietly, “have you found of Alex, Black Pearl?”
     Instead of answering, Black Pearl’s hand went to the sheath of her sword. She pulled it out and placed it across the mahogany table.
     The sword’s silvery handle was worked with a delicate pattern, carved with deep, oblique runes that Rubens could not recognize. A large, white stone, surprisingly plain, was affixed at the center of the hilt. But the most noticeable aspect of the sword, the part that drew the eye to it with its astounding beauty, was the pale blade; it shone steadily and clearly like warm, luminous water, it burned like lucid fire.
     Black Pearl passed her fingers across the intricate workings of the handle, and the blade responded with its faint, secret glow; Rubens almost fancied it to be alive, shining with an innate will.
     “This,” said Black Pearl said, “is why Alex came to the city. This is what Alex sought.”

     The hour of noon found Alex sitting near Florina’s bed. She had been dozing off under the influence of his medicines. Alex was sprawling listlessly across the chair, his slender body relaxed, for the moment lacking work, his task completed. Every once in a while he opened one eye and stole a quick look at Florina’s face. Her skin was still unhealthy and pale, but she was not the frightening grey shadow she had been that morning.
    Alex was still and quiet, but this apparent serenity, that listless weariness was in truth a silence of wait, a stillness that gathered power to itself, collected extra reserves of energy for an anticipated, waited-for conflict.
     Florina finally stirred, and opened her eyes, and Alex leant forwards at once, looking her over. He appeared satisfied with what he saw, and asked her, “How are you feeling?”
     It was a long while before she answered. “I don’t know.”
     “Which,” Alex observed in quite an ordinary voice, that betrayed nothing of the cold dismay he had experienced just a few hours ago when he entered Florina’s room, “in your own language, means ‘I feel ill enough to die.’ I am glad that I have become so proficient in interpreting you, or otherwise I may have been deceiving myself into believing what you say.”
     This banter, however, brought no smile to Florina’s lips. After a pause she said quietly, “Perhaps I am just a little depressed after seeing so many ill people in the last few months.”
     “Doubtlessly so,” Alex answered lightly. “Thank goodness all this will be over soon.”
     She made no answer, and Alex, knowing better than to pursue that particular subject, begun to talk about something else. But then a knock sounded on the door and a voice requested the Lady Florina to prepare herself for a visit to the house of some new patients.
     Alex immediately rose to his feet and left the room, closing the door behind him. Florina heard voices speaking outside— the messenger’s deferent, wary speech, Alex’s clear, decisive voice answering him in unmistakable tones. It was yet another argument in which Alex was delivering his final decision; the Clarius was too ill to heal people today, they must wait at least till she regains her strength.
     But now, Florina thought, now that Black Pearl had returned, Alex has no power to decide, no power left.
     Yet as soon as she begun to utter this thought upon Alex’s entry, the Clarius knight cut her off abruptly. “I can handle Black Pearl, Florina.”
     Florina fell silent. She had no strength to argue.
     And less than an hour later, Black Pearl arrived.

     She walked into the room with her firm stride, her face grim, her mouth narrowed, all golden and majestic and daunting; but Alex, rising from his place at the bedside and turning towards her at once, did not appear intimidated by her forbidding aspect. He had been prepared to face Black Pearl; nay, he appeared almost eager to confront her. Florina knew this well, and as she watched his set face, the mouth smiling a little as he uttered empty words of welcome, in reality an expression of uncaring defiance, she thought, Alex, you must not, you cannot do this. You have come here as a stranger; you do have not grown up understanding who Black Pearl is, what power she holds over this city. And yet she knew, that no matter what she have said, or will say, Alex will follow the course he had determined to follow from the beginning.
     Black Pearl paused in the middle of the room, and turned to face Florina. She ignored Alex’s empty greeting for a moment, only scrutinizing Florina carefully. Florina welcomed her with as firm a voice as she could, and attempted to straighten herself before Black Pearl’s critical gaze, feeling uncomfortable and unhappy. A coward, a coward, she thought to herself; you have always been a coward, always surrendering to the will of others without making even the slightest effort to resist.
     Black Pearl spoke at last. “You look ill, Florina.”
     “She has been ill for a long time, Lady Pearl,” Alex’s voice said promptly, a little loud, a little jarring; a little harsh.
     Black Pearl finally looked towards him. “Which is why, I presume, she has refused the request to heal the new victims of the Core Waning.” This was stated quite calmly.
     Another person might have taken this statement as a gesture of peace; but Alex could recognize at once the silent danger it portended. “Indeed, Lady,” he answered, the brittle smile ever so slightly more antagonistic.
     “And who,” Black Pearl asked, after a short silence, “decides whether the danger to the Clarius supersedes the danger to the people afflicted with illness?”
     Her dark eyes remained fixed on Alex. “Who, knight of Clarius, decides who lives and who dies tonight?”
     “Why,” Alex answered suavely, at once, “you do, Lady Pearl.”
     Black Pearl regarded Alex steadily. Florina, watching her, wondered whether she recognized the challenge, whether she would accept it. But when Black Pearl spoke again it was with dismissive coolness.
     “I know, Alexandrite Jumi, of the way you presumed to handle the Clarius’s duties during my absence. Diana, thinking that no harm was done because no deaths occurred, did not stop you. But understand that, starting tomorrow, your services will no longer be needed. And even now, at this moment, your determination of the Clarius’s actions was a presumption. You never had the privilege of making such decisions to begin with.”
     “I, Lady,” answered Alex, his dark eyes glittering, “am a healer by practice. My decision was not randomly determined, not a frivolous flaunting of my position as the Knight of Clarius. It drew upon many years of experience; I, who have seen many patients on the point of dying, can discern when a person’s strength had been sapped beyond recall. I therefore did, indeed, presume to decide when Florina’s health was in serious danger. Then, and only then, I refused the requests for her duties. You already know, Lady Pearl, that Florina’s days are numbered. Had I not rejected the demands for her skills, you would have returned to find her dead!”
     “Even if I choose to believe you,” said Black Pearl, her voice like ice, “it would not bestow upon you the right to refuse the people’s requests to be healed by the Clarius.”
     Alex raised an eyebrow. “Then I was merely a dummy, a puppet to stand in your stead for the duration of absence?” he asked, his voice openly mocking. “What was the worth of the title you bestowed upon me, Lady Black Pearl, if I cannot perform my duty of protecting the Clarius?”
     Florina flinched; but Black Pearl’s only response was spoken in cool contempt. “Correctly stated. I bestowed you with title, Alexandrite Jumi; not with authority. But do not presume to think that you fooled me into believing you have been oblivious to this fact, or my opinion of your intelligence will very much lessen.”
     “Ah,” Alex responded, at his coolest and most careless. “But do all positions you bestow upon people in this city function this way?” His smile was scornful, derisive. “Are all people, Lady Black Pearl, allowed to exercise their authority only until the point at which their wills clash with your own?”
     Black Pearl paled at these words; the white pallor of anger. It was plain that she was, for once, taken unaware; arguments over Florina’s health she had expected, but a direct criticism upon her handling of the city affairs was almost beyond what she imagined for a mere knight to dare utter. For a moment, black fury flared in her eyes, and the look she gave Alex portended danger. But then it slowly receded; and when she spoke again— many minutes later, during which Alex waited, a triumphant little smile lingering around his mouth— it was with quiet finality.
     “Succinctly put, Alexandrite. You have a strong will, I must own that much. But you will find that I am stronger still. Florina—“ suddenly addressing the Clarius— “prepare yourself for taking care of the new patients.”
     Florina stirred, as if meaning to move; but Alex’s control suddenly broke at this declaration.
     “No!” he said, his voice suddenly rising. “You cannot do this, Black Pearl!”
     Black Pearl’s expression was impassive. “Give me a reason why I cannot,” she answered, very quietly.
     “Because—“ Alex now forced himself to speak calmly again, “because you do not know how I found Florina this morning. If Florina goes out today and spends more of her energy on tears, she shall die tonight. Tonight, Lady Pearl!”
     Black Pearl stood as still as a statue, looking at Alex, her face unreadable; and Florina, her thoughts becoming suddenly clear, understood everything. She means to break Alex’s will through me, she thought, she means to see Alex humbled; she had accepted Alex’s challenge!
     After a moment, during which Alex, face a little pale, was looking at Black Pearl with a strained expression, she said:
     “You, Alexandrite Jumi, who had clarified quite succinctly the extent of my authority, should know better than to attempt to stop me. I have spoken with you; you have given your opinion upon this matter; I chose to ignore it.” Her words bit quietly, devouring her opponent’s strength, savoring their triumph. “And what I have chosen, you, Alexandrite, have no power to hinder.”
     Alex’s face turned white with anger. “And yet,” he answered, with eerie calm, “I have thought you a woman of reason. Reason dictates that Florina’s health is vital to the city. Reason dictates that she should not over-tax her powers, does it not, madam?”
     With a sinking heart, Florina thought, she is playing you, Alex! Why can you not see this? She is purposely tormenting you; teaching you a lesson; she knows that you believe that she means to do this, because other Clarius had died in this city. And she thought with great sadness, it is I, Alex’s fear for me, that brought this downfall, hit the sensitive nerve, caused Alex to rash blindly into this shaky grounds which will, ultimately, sink beneath his feet. She attempted to catch Alex’s eye, to communicate this to him; but his whole attention was concentrated on Black Pearl, locked in the bitter struggle of wills.
     Black Pearl’s answer to Alex’s argument was dismissive, uttered in icy tones. “It is not YOUR notion of what is reasonable that dictates this city, but mine. Learn to adjust yourself to this fact, Alexandrite Jumi; the sooner, the better.”
     “Three days,” said Alex, through clenched teeth. “She needs only three days, Lady Black Pearl. Give her three days!”
     Black Pearl made a curt, dismissive gesture with her hand, indicating both contempt and refusal.
     Suddenly, with several quick strides, Alex came towards Black Pearl. His body was poised aggressively, almost as if he was ready for an attack. A faint crease appeared between Black Pearl’s brows, but she stood motionlessly, serenely maintaining her upright figure, her perfect bearing. Alex came to stand before Black Pearl, his dark eyes meeting hers; then he suddenly dropped to one knee.
     “Please, Lady,” he said, his voice all at once very quiet. “Give Florina a little more time. I apologize, I regret my previous words. They were spoke in haste. I let my emotions overcome my better judgment. Fear, you must know, turns people unwise.”
     There was silence for a moment. Black Pearl regarded Alex’s downturned head; she could not see his face, but Alex’s words were spoken with dignity, asking for forgiveness as an equal from an equal. There was nothing sniveling or cowardly about his manner, nothing to indicate fear. It was, Florina knew, exactly the manner that Black Pearl approved of.
     And still, Black Pearl said nothing. Alex continued to speak with the same low, serious tones. “I mean to invest all my power unto helping this city, Lady Black Pearl. I mean to keep Florina alive— and what would be better for the city than to do so? Even you, Lady, must assent to the truth of that.”
     “I do assent it,” finally answered Black Pearl, very calmly.
     Alex nodded, still keeping his face carefully downturned, though a smile now stole to his mouth. It was an unassuming smile that most people would have interpreted as an expression of relief, a gesture of careful amity. But Florina, watching Alex, recognized this smile; Alex’s sly smile of triumph. She sighed inwardly, reflecting, Alex never changed. Taking on the challenge, losing, and still presuming to win. Or perhaps, she thought, there is something that even I do not know. With Alex, one never does know.
     “I would do anything in my power to help Florina— to help this city,” Alex said softly.
     As always, reflected Florina, telling half the truth in a statement to mask the complete lie.
     A pause ensued, during which Black Pearl was watching Alex closely, her face expressionless. He waited, sunk on one knee, his head lowered in the appropriate gesture of deference, as if awaiting her judgment. Then Black Pearl stepped close to Alex and gripped his jaw between her fingers, forcing him to look upwards into her eyes.
     “Pretty Alex,” she said softly, a faint smile twisting her mouth. “Too pretty by half. Don’t waste this charming charade on me, for I’ve seen through you some time ago. I must extend my congratulations, however, for I have failed to properly estimate your importance. All my thoughts are for the dying, you see, and I spare so little thought for the living.”
     Alex was silent, his bright eyes fixed on Black Pearl’s dark ones serenely. Not a muscle moved in his face, for to betray agitation would be a clear admission of guilt. Black Pearl continued to speak softly.
     “Don’t worry, however; I shall not expose your identity, for such an action will cast a shadow on the council’s abilities to screen applications for knighthood and will put us to scorn. But as for the Lapis Lazuli—“ and here, a fleeting shadow entered her eyes— “I admit that I have failed to estimate him as well. He is a rebel and must be put down before he gets dangerous.”
     Black Pearl released her grip on Alex’s jaw, and her voice turned businesslike, cold, commanding. She was, once more, the figure of authority; all hints of accepting Alex’s challenge to her power on equal terms were gone. He was examined, and she had seen through him; he failed the test, and he was dismissed.
     “You, Alexandrite,” she said, “shall attend the conference room tomorrow exactly at noon for the transfer of the title. A failure to appear will result in stripping you of your knighthood for disobedience. Understand?”
     Alex finally spoke, his voice slightly muffled. “Yes, my Lady.”
     “Florina,” continued Black Pearl, turning around. “Your assignments shall be carried out starting tomorrow, as soon as my title is transferred. You shall have no extended license beyond it.”
     “Yes, my Lady,” answered Florina in a faint voice.
     Black Pearl turned around and walked through the door without another look at Alex.
     As soon as she was gone Alex sprang to his feet and closed the door. He then begun to pace the room, an absent frown on his face, and Florina watched him intently. He was biting one finger, chewing on it in thought. Finally he halted his restless activity and turned towards Florina.
     “It must be done tonight,” he said, concise, businesslike. “Tomorrow noon shall be too late.”
     “That quickly?” asked Florina faintly. “Alex—“
     But Alex raised his hand, halting her speech. “Luckily, I have arranged for everything ahead of time. The men are waiting, Florina, and I warned them to be ready for an emergency alert; they will devise a way to create false tracks for our pursuers. It’s fortunate that I have been the Knight of Clarius,” he added with a tight smile. “Otherwise I couldn’t have passed the shield so easily. The guards have respect for my wishes. I shall tell them that I am going to collect some herbs for your medicines again. I have already taken that large box with me numerous times, and they recognize it by sight. They shall never suspect that you are inside it this time.” He gave a short, harsh laugh.
     Florina lowered her eyes. “You shouldn’t have done it, Alex. You shouldn’t have spoken to her this way. You should have complied to her wishes; it would at least have allayed her suspicions.”
     Alex’s green eyes were bright and mirthless. “Ah, but my dear, I enjoyed every moment of the exchange! I would never have had another opportunity to speak out my exact thoughts, show her that one person, at least, does not fear to express their understanding of the precise situation. She would not show it, but believe me, it rankled! One stray stone can sometimes starts the avalanche; if my words shook her out of her smug self-complacency even a little, then I won the exchange.”
     “She was playing you, Alex,” said Florina softly, “with her threat to force me to heal today. She would not have done so.”
     “I must admit,” said Alex, his smile turned self-depreciating, “that she did manage to fool me for a few moments. I never thought that, out of a pure wish to spite me, she would force you to go when you are so obviously ill. And haven’t Clarius died under her care before?” His eyes were dark again now. “This woman took Elazul from me; and now she seeks to take you as well. I’ll be damned if I let her!”
     Florina, recalling Black Pearl’s words, spoke uncertainly. “Elazul— he must be warned, Alex.“
     Alex, his eyes simmering darkly, paused for a moment; but then he said abruptly: “Elazul can take care of himself, my dear. Worry not.” He gave a dismissive shrug. “It’s not as if she’ll order his death. She might, however, order mine.” Again, he laughed mirthlessly. “I’m finished with this city anyway. But Elazul is so infatuated with that woman that—“
     But then he turned his face towards Florina, his expression light, almost possessing a hint of his usual acerbic good-humor.
     “If Elazul really wants us, he’ll come after us.”
     Florina uttered a small laugh. “And which one of us shall have him?”
     “Don’t be silly, Florina,” Alex answered briskly. “We’ll share him, of course.”
     Florina laughed again with an uncertain tremor. “I’m frightened, Alex. And if something happens to you…”
     Alex flicked her cheek with a careless finger. “Foolish Florina! Nothing will happen to me. And aren’t you excited to finally leave this city and see the world outside?”
     “The world outside,” Florina murmured. “I have seen a snatch of it just for a little while, a long time ago, when I was a small child.”
     Alex raised an eyebrow, regarding her speculatively. “Indeed? And what happened?”
     Florina’s smile was sad. “Nothing. But I recall it well because just a few days later my mother died.”

     On that very same day, in the early afternoon hours, Elazul was summoned by Black Pearl.
     Though he knew she had returned, he had not seen her yet; and he was incensed, angry with himself to discover his heartbeats growing quick, a chill running through his body at the thought of meeting her again. To discipline himself into rational thought, he reflected, somewhat bitterly, that a private conference with Black Pearl could not bode good for him. But he already knew what it would be about.
     He was not surprised, therefore, at Black Pearl’s first words.
     “I understand, Lapis Lazuli, that a guardian had been offered to you; and that you refused her in no uncertain terms.”
     “Yes, my lady,” answered Elazul; and he lowered his head to conceal the color flooding his cheeks.
     He was sitting on a chair in a small room, the same one in which Black Pearl met Rubens earlier that day. Upon meeting her he went down to one knee, bowing his head with the usual show of reverence bestowed upon her by knights; but he immediately felt himself growing tongue-tied at her presence, losing his ease, feeling susceptible and defenseless as he did the first time he had seen her, many months ago. And though one part of his mind lashed at him with derision and contempt at his weakness, produced by a superficial physical need (for some reason, that part sounded suspiciously like Alex’s voice, and this realization actually distracted Elazul for a moment, and nearly made him smile), the stronger, over-powering feeling was the prevalent sensation of helplessness, a wish to get close to the forbidden, to overpower the unyielding, and above all, the desire to possess that glowing, peerless beauty that belonged to this woman whose soul was cold and tyrannical and unfeeling.
     How can I consciously know this, Elazul asked himself, and still want her? If she came to me now and told me that she felt the same I will yield without a moment’s thought. And yet, he thought, I had sensed a glow from within, beyond the coldness, and perhaps I did not deceive myself, and perhaps it did exist. But how will I know whether I am right, if I never get close enough to her to find out?
     Black Pearl’s voice, intervening upon these thoughts, was like a splash of icy water in Elazul’s face, jerking him back to reality.
     “Would you explain to me,” she asked, “why you refused the offer for the guardian?”
     Elazul was silent. So much for idle, senseless dreaming. But he was silent because he did not know what to say in answer, except the obvious one, that he simply did not wish for a guardian. But, as he clearly understood, this answer would no longer be acceptable.
     “It seems like a fair offer,” Black Pearl stated with her clear, emotionless tones. “This girl’s position will be important; she might be the future Clarius. Give me one good reason why you would refuse Diana’s proposition, Lapis Lazuli.”
     Elazul, his head hung low, made no answer. Was it your idea, then, he suddenly wondered, your idea rather than Diana’s? Are you eager, then, to be rid of me, of my pitiful, bothersome, useless infatuation? He felt hot anger flooding through him at this suspicion, and some of his embarrassment was eased; but he was careful not to betray it, mindful of those dark, discerning eyes. Black Pearl examined his set expression and then said,
     “Let me make one thing very clear to you, Lapis Lazuli knight. Diana has declared herself unwilling to tolerate your presence in this city if you continue in your self-serving, independent ways. If you refuse this offer again, there is a possibility that you shall no longer be permitted to remain here.”
     Elazul’s head rose, his blue eyes fastened on Black Pearl with disbelief, and a bitterness that he could not quite disguise, and found he did not care to anymore. “What—“ he asked, speaking with difficulty, “what have I done to merit this treatment, Lady Pearl? Tell me, explain to me, why am I being punished this way? I have done nothing to deserve it.” His voice was now shaking with rage. “Nothing!”
      “Don’t pretend innocence to me, Lapis Lazuli,” answered Black Pearl with a voice like ice, “for I abhor all appearances of deceit.” Elazul flinched at her words and looked down again, his mouth set grimly; but he refrained from answering. He suddenly understood that his past actions had been discovered, found out, and his thoughts darted to Alex. He said nothing in reply, and Black Pearl continued coolly, “Given these circumstances, I would consider Diana’s offer generous.”
     “I shall not do it,” answered Elazul, very quietly. “You cannot force me to do this, for I shall leave the city of my own will.”
     Black Pearl was silent for a moment, contemplating Elazul. Then she stepped closer to Elazul and said: “Look up, Lapis Lazuli; look at me. And listen well to what I have to say.”
     He obeyed her; but he felt weak again, like a censured youth. His cheeks flushed under her steady, dark stare.
     “There is a balance of power in the government of this city, Elazul,” Black Pearl said, speaking softly now. “All rules and regulations are put to the council; and in matters of crucial importance, the ultimate power of decision lies with three people alone: Diana, Rubens, and myself. Rubens always tries to act with fairness. Diana sometimes acts with fairness, sometimes she acts according to strict justice. I, Elazul, always act according to justice.”
     The smile she gave him was crooked, and Elazul’s color deepened in reaction. He had never seen Black Pearl smile before, and found it strangely disturbing.
     “You are at present under a mark of disgrace,” she continued, “and your actions amount to a rebellion. The punishment for a digression such as yours would normally be a temporary exile; and this would have been your fate had Rubens not urged Diana to give you another chance. She complied, but upon very certain conditions. Should you refuse her conditions, the decisions regarding your ultimate fate lies solely in my hands.”
     She now turned to the window, releasing her hold on Elazul’s eyes, and the smile vanished. But her words were sharp, stung like a whiplash.
     “Diana’s condition, as you know, is that you comply to her offer and become the girl’s knight. If you refuse it again, Lapis Lazuli, and yet wish to remain in the city without being forced to leave in disgrace, all your actions shall be henceforth regulated by myself. You shall not be allowed to leave the city without due notice, and you shall do so at my discretion. You shall report to me upon any given action, and thus it shall remain until I decide otherwise.”
     Elazul’s hands clenched into fists at her words. He found he could barely control the anger that shook him. “What you offer, my Lady Pearl, is a lengthy avenue of humiliation!”
     “Then you refuse it?” she asked, very coldly, detecting the savageness of his tone.
     “Yes.” Elazul looked up at her, his eyes flashing wrathfully. “As I told you before, Lady Black Pearl: I shall simply leave the city. Enforce any duration of exile on me, if you so wish! I am willing to take the burden of the blame.” He spoke quite quickly, his chest heaving. “I don’t mind. I don’t care.”
     “Do not think of us as such fools,” answered Black Pearl, the same ominous smile twisting her mouth again. “For what is a temporary exile for you, who wandered for ten years alone? No, Lapis Lazuli. If you leave this city out of your own volition, and refuse our terms, it shall be the last time you do so. Your exile will not be temporary, but permanent. We will not allow you to go back under any circumstances, any conditions. Your next dissent shall be your last, Lapis Lazuli!”
     Elazul could only stare at her, at a loss for an answer to such a declaration. In his mind he pictured the broad, beautiful avenues of the Jumi city, the spiraling towers set with a rainbow of richly glittering jewels, where he had grown and lived for most of his life; that he both hated and loved. He recalled the city’s people— HIS people— and he thought of those that he came to know, Rubens, Sapphire, Emeralda, and of those he grew to care for deeply, Alex, Florina… and he looked at Black Pearl and thought, she is saying that I shall never be able to see my city, my people, and those I care for again. And he remained sitting with his head lowered, a stricken look in his eyes, as he envisioned years of lonely wandering among humans, that could amount to hundreds if he was not caught and killed; and to be never allowed to go back— ever again. For he had not the slightest doubt that Black Pearl’s decree would be enforced by her successors; and even if it would not be so, the years he would spend in this forced exile would amount to an almost intolerable sum.
     Above him, Black Pearl spoke softly. “What is your answer, Lapis Lazuli?”
     But Elazul could only say, in a voice that he deliberately kept very quiet to conceal the anguish, to mask the pain: “I shall consider your offer, my Lady. But give me time. Give me… three days.”
     “Then three days you shall have,” answered Black Pearl.
     Elazul rose to his feet, bowed slightly, and left the room without a glance back.

     Returning to his flat that night, Alex was surprised to find Elazul sitting and waiting for him.
     Alex had meant to stay only for a little while, refresh himself and change clothes, before he embarked on the final preparations for the escape; but now he could perceive that he might stay a little longer than planned. Indeed, he realized that this might be the last time he will meet Elazul, and wondered at the strange chance that lured Elazul here.
     He could immediately discern that Elazul wished to discuss something with him; and he was not surprised to learn that it had to do with Black Pearl. No chance, then, Alex thought cynically, but Black Pearl’s return, inflicting order onto the lives of those who choose to comply, chaos onto the lives of those who seek to rebel. And now I owe the chance of seeing Elazul one last time before I leave to that woman. Another irony that turns the tide against me. But she had not anticipated the ace I concealed in my hand, which will cause me to emerge triumphant. Yes, Black Pearl CAN be defeated, for she is only a Jumi, like myself, not invincible or immortal; and I, thought Alex bitterly, teeth set, smile morbid, eyes glittering, I SHALL be the one to defeat her. Just wait, Black Pearl; you had thought you had played our little game at your terms, and ended it at your will; but you don’t realize that we have just begun it.
     Elazul, he asked: “What happened, Elazul?”
     For a moment Elazul was silent, struggling with his feelings. He wished to unburden himself to Alex, yet he found himself afraid of Alex’s reaction, afraid of being hurt further by Alex’s heartless levity. He was unsure which mood he had caught Alex in, for Alex seemed strangely cheerful, his expression light and serene. This ordinarily might have made Elazul wary, because he knew that the occasion of Black Pearl’s return could only mean trouble for Alex, and indeed, Black Pearl had stated as much; but his recent encounter with Black Pearl, the hurt and shock he experienced, over-rid every other consideration. Elazul did not believe anything would be done to Alex; Black Pearl clearly meant to avoid exposition of this matter, and would probably leave Alex alone, perhaps deliberately, until she finds a way to get rid of Alex without the truth being out, to avoid a scandal. But he, Elazul, had to take immediate measures. He had only three days to make a decision.
     He commenced to tell Alex about the beginning of the encounter, and how Black Pearl asked about the proposition of the guardian. But when he thought of the part pertaining to the exile he suddenly found that he couldn’t go on, and trailed off after this very bare start. Alex was leaning against the wall, his arms folded, his eyes fixed intently upon Elazul’s face; he seemed thoughtful, watchful; but he said immediately, in a perfectly calm voice: “Well, then, go on.”
     Elazul looked down; his hands, settled upon his knees, clenched slightly. After a short silence, he said, shortly, “Black Pearl told me that I must either accept the guardianship of Sapphire or leave the city.”
     Alex’s narrowed eyes examined Elazul’s countenance closely. “And what did you say?”
     Elazul answered quietly, “At present, nothing.”
     “And yet you are free to leave at any time anyway,” observed Alex, looking upwards and fixing his eyes on the ceiling indifferently, as if in exasperation. “Why, Elazul, do you let them do this to you?”
     Elazul said nothing, but his color heightened. He considered telling Alex of the possibility of permanent banishment; but he knew that it would not change anything. What could Alex say, to change this? Apart from offering to accompany him, which he might, or might not. Somehow, Elazul did not trust himself to know what Alex would decide, which way he would choose. He was fairly certain that Alex would stay to take care of Florina, whose very life was at stake, and whose pains he eased with his treatment; and would definitely not choose to leave the city with him simply because he, Elazul, stubbornly, and perhaps stupidly, chose exile over being paired with a guardian. If I leave, Elazul suddenly realized, I will not see Alex until Florina dies.
     To Alex he replied stridently, “I don’t wish to leave.”
     “Ah,” said Alex shortly. “I know.”
     Elazul was incensed at Alex’s dry tone. He glanced up, his blue eyes flaring. “You don’t know as much as you think you do, Alex.”
     “You don’t tell me enough to allow me to form a just judgment,” Alex retorted coolly.
     Elazul did not attempt to deny this accusation. Instead he said, looking directly at Alex: “Alex, Black Pearl knows about you.”
     Alex stretched carelessly, darting a sudden smile at Elazul. “Tell me something I don’t know. We had a delightful little conversation a few hours ago, in which the lady gave me a concise opinion of my character.”
     “And what did she say to you?” Elazul asked, examining Alex’s face closely.
     Alex crossed his arms behind his neck. “Just what anyone would expect. I was complimented upon my cleverness, charm and good looks. An enjoyable exchange, truthfully.”
     Elazul perceived that he was not going to receive a direct reply, and gave up. He reasoned he would get the truth out of Florina later. “Well, then, you are luckier than I have been,” he said dryly. “I envy your success with the lady.”
     Alex grinned. “As you should.” But he bestowed a sideways glance on Elazul, speaking in a tone that was now carefully neutral. “What do you mean to answer her, Elazul? Would you take the guardianship, then?”
     For a few moments, Elazul was silent. Then, instead of answering, he suddenly begun to speak, to pour out the thoughts he had been turning over in his mind for many months, many years. He had never spoken to anyone about them before; but he knew that Alex would understand.
     “This city is a trap, Alex,” he said. “It constricts and oppresses, not only myself but everyone who lives in it. Just look at the children; so many of them are unhealthy, so many of their families die, so many wish to get out and leave.”
     Alex remained still, waiting, listening.
     Elazul passed his hand over his face. “I have a bad feeling about all this,” he said, almost wearily. “A strange vision… as if all this contained energy, having no place to go, turns lethal and lashes out, beats at us, like an enclosed creature. I can feel the mounting pressure of it, Alex, the breaking point approaching, all these conflicting nerves and desires bundled up tightly in the strings of Diana’s web. But they will break loose one day, and tear through its workings; and then this house of cards will collapse and chaos will ensue.”
     A smile pulled at Alex’s mouth. Prophetic, he marveled; for it is I who shall pull out the ace, the top healer, the Clarius, from the base of the city. Let them deal with the fall!
     He disclosed nothing of this to Elazul. Alex knew that an offer to come with Florina and himself would oblige Elazul to choose between them and the city; and would likewise oblige Alex to discover whom Elazul values more highly, Florina and Alex, or Black Pearl. Somehow Alex felt that he had no wish to put this question to the test; not quite certain that he knew the answer.
     He glanced at Elazul again, and saw the Lapis Lazuli, his eyes fixed on the floor, shaking his head slowly, as if in resignation.
     “It matters nothing,” he murmured. “Because I still can’t let go, Alex. I love this place too much— even if it hurts me sometimes.”
     “Then,” Alex answered, looking at some indefinite point in the ceiling, his expression tranquil, “you shall stay. As your heart dictates you.”
     But Elazul said nothing to this; and they did not discuss the matter any further. Time was running out for Alex; that very night, the plan to smuggle Florina out of the city would be executed. So this is goodbye, Alex reflected, as they discussed irrelevant, trifling subjects that neither of them was interested in; ironic, that Elazul could have come with us, but would not!
     But Alex’s emotional defenses had always been to deride and belittle what brought others pain; and the thought only provoked an implacable, cynical smile.

Comment: Finally, you think, the story is going somewhere. If you thought that Black Pearl was curiously inert up until now, well, she will definitely take center stage in the last three chapters of Part II, something that you can already see.

Part 2, Chapter 4: Heart of Darkness