The Hermaphrodite's Curse Ch. 18

PART THREE - PARIS

- 3 -

"Diana was the goddess of the moon and of the hunt," Saphy explained to Gabe after they had checked into a local hotel and Gabe had told her of his strange encounter back at the Louvre, "She was noted as the virgin goddess. After talking to Jane, I read Francis Beaumont's poem, Salmacis and Hermaphroditus. Beaumont says that the young Hermaphroditus was so beautiful that he tempted even the virginal Diana into lustful thoughts. The naiads were followers of Diana, they were water spirits as devoted to virginity and purity as she was."

"But, wasn't Salmacis a water spirit?" Gabe asked, "Wasn't she a naiad?"

"She was, and a very unusual one in being driven more by lust and the hunt for sex rather than actual hunting," Saphy replied, "That's probably what your Atalanta meant by describing the fountain as 'Salmacis' shame'. She obviously feels that the cursed waters represent a failure of a naiad to pursue their chosen course of chastity."

"So, doesn't these naiads threatening me suggest that maybe there is some truth to the legend?" Gabe said, excited once more at what they might discover where a few hours earlier Saphy's rational argument had been enough to make him think otherwise.

"Not exactly, no," Saphy replied, "Anybody can call themselves a 'naiad' without having access to any real supernatural secrets or powers. What it does tell us is that there are more people than just our ugly bald friends out to stop us, which, of course, makes me much more determined to find what's going on. It also tells us that these 'naiads' were the ones responsible for the gallery murder and the bald assassins for Jane's death."

"What makes you think that?" Gabe was astounded that Saphy thought she could solve the murders that quickly and rather surprised that this revelation made her actually more determined to solve the ancient mystery of Salmacis.

"Simple," Saphy replied, "Both the naiads and the baldies use pretty distinctive weapons. You've already basically told me that the naiads were responsible for the gallery murder when you told me their arrows were the same. Not many murders with bows and arrows these days, it's a pretty major giveaway. So, I think we can fairly assume, given the symbolic role these arrows play, that they did not murder Jane as she was killed with a knife, and her body butchered, which doesn't seem to fit with the naiads behaviour.

"Those bald guys, however, with their ugly ceremonial dagger and rather narrow moral attitude seem to have just the right weapon for that one, especially as we know from your experience that they were there in Cambridge that day and have some links with the white cross wearing people who locked you in the basement. As far as I can see, both the naiads and the white crosses want to stop information about the fountain slipping out, so both have a vested interest in stopping us. However, the white cross people seem to want to find the fountain for themselves, so the naiads presumably want to stop them too."

"So, now we know who the killers are, why don't we just go to the police?" Gabe asked.

"Because, the story is no more plausible now we know more details," Saphy said, "They still wouldn't believe us. We've got no evidence."

"So, we're still going to try and find the fountain?" Gabe asked, fearful both of her saying yes and putting their lives in further jeopardy or no and leaving them with nowhere to turn, leaving the mystery completely uncovered, "Even despite the naiads' threat?"

"Like I said, that just makes me want to know more," Saphy said, putting on a determined and defiant expression, "They want to stop me finding out their secrets. Well, bring it on. I want to know the mystery now as much for the mystery's sake as to save myself. Besides, the naiad's presence at the Louvre gives us two more pieces of information. For one, if they think the statue's worth protecting then it still has some clue to yield up to us. We're going back there tomorrow."

"And the other?"

"They obviously know about us," Saphy replied, "They've been able to follow us, observe us and track us down. The white crosses and their creepy assassins are not going to be far behind. We're going to have to be more covert in our actions."

"You're the one that stands out a mile away!" Gabe exclaimed irritably, "Just look at that hair. Of course people can track and follow you."

"Way ahead of you there," Saphy smirked.

To Gabe's surprise she did not get angry or aggressive at his remark, even though that was exactly what he expected her to. Instead, she seemed quite amused at the idea. For the first time since he had met her, Saphy seemed genuinely to be having fun. It was pretty weird fun if the idea of competing against trained assassins and being targeted by mythological virgins was something that made her happy, but Gabe was not about to question the triumphant smile as she went through her luggage and pulled out some scissors and a box of hair dye labelled "Scarlet Passion".

"You know, I think I was going to go redheaded one day anyway," she smiled and headed for the tiny en suite bathroom of their small double room.

"Why did we have to share a room, anyway?" Gabe called through the open bathroom door as he heard the sounds of the snipping of scissors.

"I can't afford any more than that," Saphy responded from the next room, "I don't know how long we'll be chasing around the world solving this mystery and I want to have some money left at the end of it."

"Don't you come from money?" Gabe asked, sure that he had seen plenty of signs of Saphy's expensive education and good breeding beneath her pierced and tattooed exterior.

"Come from is not the same as have now, though, is it?" Saphy responded quite aggressively, peering around the doorway, her hair a half cut mess, brandishing a pair of scissors in a way that was, possibly unintentionally, quite threatening, "I've got a little inheritance from a favourite aunt that I'm now eating through at an alarming rate. After paying for a taxi ride from London to Cambridge and a train from London to Paris, I'm not feeling particularly keen on paying for a plush hotel suite into the bargain."

"Fine. OK," Gabe pacified her, a little concerned about the way she was gesticulating with those scissors, "We'll share a bed then."

"Indiana Jones never had to put up with this," Gabe heard her say to herself under her breath as she ducked back inside the tiny bathroom, "He'd never fail in his quest for the Holy Grail because of bankruptcy."

Gabe found himself smiling in spite of himself at this last muttered remark. Despite her prickly personality, he could not help liking this unusual young woman he had been thrust together with by fate and circumstance.