Nature or Nurture Ch. 49-50

Adison is sagging, Mrs Poole had quite an overload of magic on this man, she must have judged him difficult to rule, which Adison is sure to be true. He could plot his lover's downfall even while still under her enchantment. Mrs Poole is not to be envied.

Sembene has kept Adison from falling, and now Vincent sits next to her, holds her in his strong arms, she is so fortunate to have such a fabulous man at her side. He is stroking her hair, and her face, and Adison takes a few minutes of total rest in his embrace, after which she feels a lot better.

She does not leave his arms, however, she's much too comfortable where she is.

Looking at the scene in front of her, Vanessa cannot help feeling a little bit envious. All her life she has had only one fervent wish, and that is to belong. But somehow, finding a place where she can be herself is not meant for her, she is always restless, always bored. She felt truly alive when they were hunting for Mina, scouring derelict buildings for signs of the hideous creature that held her, accompanying the men on their dangerous expeditions into the night.

Her life is way too quiet now, and to see her friend Mina finally find a place within a group of people where everyone is taken at their own value stings a little. It is what she always wanted, but can never seem to get.

Look at Mina and Dr Frankenstein, she is so strong, physically and mentally both, and he doesn't seem to care at all to admit that, he lets her do the fighting and most of the talking, well content to do a lot of very profound thinking and observing.

And Adison and Vincent, she seems so vulnerable, but Vanessa has felt her will, it is indomitable. She probably needs it, for no matter how polite and well-read and soft-spoken her husband is, one can clearly see that there is something hiding within that needs taming. The idea makes her heart beat faster, to have such a man to oneself, to discover every side of him and have him discover every side of you. It must be what life is about.

Lost in contemplation, Vanessa does not notice someone approaching her until her hand is taken, and a soft voice addresses her, his strong accent as familiar as his manly scent.

'Their closeness as a group is enough to make a person jealous, isn't it? I've always had this strong urge to belong, not just with one mate, but with a whole group of people. I have no idea why, but I instantly recognize it when I see it. They each have their own space, and they don't even realize it, it's all so natural.

Look at the little one, she feels left out for a moment because her parents are involved with each other, and Dr Frankenstein, of all people, steps in to give her some attention. Seeing them makes me feel rather envious.'

Vanessa is stunned to have her own observations and feelings perfectly articulated by Ethan, it is almost incredible that he seems to feel things exactly the same as she does. She invites him to sit next to her, and he does.

'You've put into words what I was feeling, Ethan,' she tells him. 'They all have a place in their group, each has their own task, the one he is most suited to, to them gender doesn't seem to matter, a man can show a weakness and a woman a strength. I do envy them. Mina has invited me over, but I feel I don't belong with them, their closeness does not include me.'

'That is probably your own feeling, Vanessa, maybe you should try again but not by yourself. Take me along next time. Will you?'

Looking up at him she replies, 'I will. Maybe it was being by myself among couples that made me feel out of place. They all have a past as well as I do, that cannot be it.'

'I wish you would let me into your life, Vanessa, I have a past that is not unblemished, and I do not expect you to sit still and be a lady because you are a woman. I would listen to your life's story, even when it gets ugly, and I'll tell you mine, including my own dark secret. The time may have come to face it.

I've been alone all my life, and now I'm convinced I don't need to be. Shall we at least give it a try not to be alone?'

He sounds very convincing, and it is true, he is hiding something and she is dying to know what it is. Something violent, she thinks, and strangely, that attracts rather than repels her.

She squeezes his hand to let him know her consent, and his resulting smile makes her forget her envy of those who belong quite readily.

They finish their coffee, and confirm their plan, to be executed tomorrow just after dark, in a certain alley near the wax-museum, where Sir Malcolm will lead Mrs Poole to them.

It will be virtually impossible to leave her alive, she is way too dangerous to keep a prisoner, even in Sir Malcolm's basement, which is rather dungeon-like and even has the facilities. They know there is at least one more underling, the witch who disappeared into the wall, so they will probably have to hunt that one down afterwards. That may mean raiding the house after all, but first things first.

Time and place of action decided, they go home, Adison is tired, and Catherine no less. Vincent is looking forward to an hour of practise, hopefully with Mina or Victor, and a nice, hot shower afterwards.

Sir Malcolm offers Adison his carriage, she is totally worn out with the effort on his behalf, and he feels he cannot do anything less than see her home safely. Which is true, so they accept his offer gladly.

With a painkiller, Adison finds sleep almost as quickly as Catherine, and as the three others practise their swordplay by lamplight, Victor observes, 'That is twice this week that Adison goes to bed with a headache, isn't that alarming? I cannot imagine she is supposed to suffer so much for being able to practise magic.'

'You are right,' Vincent replies, 'she is suffering, but she has freed three people the last two days, and that always used to give her headaches afterwards. We'll ask Paul tomorrow whether that can hurt her permanently, he probably knows. I'll be glad to have my bicycle, it will save so much time going to St James'. Did we order a padlock to go with it? I cannot seem to remember.'

'We did, but do you suppose they'll be finished already? I can't imagine, though I hope so. The first one is for you, Vincent, you need it the most.'

Victor willing to let Vincent have the first bicycle? What is the world coming to...

The next morning, Adison is fine, ready for a morning in the practice seeing patients, and Vincent has no qualms to leave for his rehearsals, a brisk walk of three quarters of an hour. Fortunately it is dry for a change, this has been a miserable fall so far. Most of the streets he uses are starting to look familiar already, next week he can try to cut off some corners in places, see if he can bring the trip down to forty minutes.

And when the bicycles arrive, he guesses that will save him half the time at least.

In the middle of town, on a week-day, one passes a lot of people, but Vincent has taught himself not to spend too much time looking around, on a bad day it is enough to make a fellow miserable, seeing the beggars and the homeless mixed with the busy city folk. But this morning there is a familiar face in the crowd, a tall man with really short hair, simple clothing and a frank, open face. As Vincent tries to remember who the man might be, the man has seen him and is coming straight at him.

His newly found memories do not raise an alarm, but if he cannot come up with a name soon he may be in trouble. His mind is working top-speed, but it is used to dealing with less than a year's worth of memories, it is not used to process a lifetime of memories on demand. Just as he has a flash of insight, the man has reached him and shakes his hand sincerely.

'Heathcliff, how good to see you, and in good health apparently! Word on the street is that you are dead, a ghost, actually, and I can see where those stories came from. How have you been?'

This man is truly interested in his well-being, that much is obvious, and his mind finally produces a name and a startling discovery.

'Father Nicholas, how good to see you. It has been a long time indeed, more than a year. Father, I have somewhere I need to be, I'd like to stay and chat but I have rehearsals at the St James' theatre, and it's only my third day, I cannot be late.

Can we arrange to meet some other time?'

Why would Heathcliff have known a vicar? They seem to have known one another well.

'St James'? Are you an actor these days? Never mind, you are in a hurry. If I keep up, may I accompany you there, and hear how you've been on our way?'

The father really wants to know how he is.

'Sure, be my guest, you're tall, you should have no trouble matching my speed.'

They walk on together, and Father Nicholas observes, 'You do look a bit worse for wear, Heathcliff, there must be a story behind that, and I suspect not a happy one. One doesn't disappear from the face of the earth for more than a year.'

'You are right, Father, I had a bad accident, actually it was not an accident but an attempt on my life, and I barely survived, but lost my memories. By the time I regained them, my life had changed totally, I am an actor now, married to a lady doctor, we've taken back my two year old daughter from her foster-home to form a cute little family. I've spread the rumours of my demise myself, Father, in the hopes to leave Heathcliff behind me. I'm called Vincent now, I use my old name as my surname.'

'Good for you, Vincent, it seems you have the life I hoped you'd find, though the price was probably high.'

'It was, but it was worth it. And how are you, still working in the poor quarters?'

The Father looks sad, and Vincent can understand him very well, the season of suffering is well under way, people are getting richer all over town, but the poor quarters seem to fill up further each year, and the inhabitants seem to get even more desperately poor every year.

'It's pretty bad already, Vincent,' the Father replies, 'so many hungry and sick, sometimes I question my Lord at night when I lie in my warm bed with my tummy filled, but so far he has convinced me every night to rise in the morning and get to it. It's really good to see someone do well for a change, I'm glad to have met you.

When is your premiere? I'd like to come and see you play.'

'It's in February, Valentine's day. I'm playing a Reverend, actually. I suppose the play may be shocking to you, being a religious person.'

'Oh, come on Vincent, after being friends with Heathcliff, how could one little play shock me? Remember the discussions we used to have? Oh, sorry, you may not of course, well, maybe this encounter will shake them loose. Let me tell you this much, they were not suitable to make a play out of. And still I couldn't help liking you and worrying for you when your lady died and left you all alone, and the year that followed, with your sinking ever deeper.

I'm so glad to see you doing well. Maybe we'll run into each other again, and if not, I'll see you at the St James, I'll be there.'

A warm feeling comes over Vincent, he must have been rather good friends with this man, and on impulse he says, 'Thank you, Father, I wish you good luck the coming winter. You can find me at Dr Frankenstein's practice, my wife is a doctor there. But please keep that to yourself, I was given a new start and I want to take that chance.'

'I promise. Thank you very much for your trust, son,' the Father says, and they stop in front of St James', shake hands meaningfully, and part ways.

That was a weird encounter, Vincent never expected Heathcliff to be friends with a vicar, another surprising side to his predecessor. Still, he is now at his work, and he will concentrate on the rehearsals, for there is still a lot he needs to learn to keep up with the experienced actors.

Father Nicholas will have to wait for the walk back to be remembered more fully.

Rehearsal is still everything he had hoped for and more, there are so many great actors to watch, and the directions he receives are very helpful. Praise and critique are in perfect harmony, lunch is diverting, and despite all that he is totally worn out by the time he walks home, with half the day still before him.

He is just in time for the arrival of his fencing students, and they start in the kitchen with coffee, and with Melissa returning Adison's dresses.

'The girls are doing well in their new homes,' is her father's message, and nothing more. But Paul has some news that makes them forget all about girls and dresses.

'Better clear out your backyard, for your bicycles will be finished the day after tomorrow. Can you all come and pick them up?'

Of course they can, they'll just wait until dark, then take a cab over and cycle back together.

'But what about Catherine?' Adison says, 'she cannot stay home alone, and she cannot sit in my lap as I cycle. Besides, we'll want to take her along more often, like she rode on the horse, in front of my dad or one of us.'

'That's it,' Paul says, 'you can put her in a sling on your body, I've seen people carry a child that way, though she may be a little too old for that. But on a gentleman's bicycle I can also put another saddle in front of the real saddle, and she can sit on that and hold on to the handle bar. Maybe a foot rest...' It is clear he is already thinking of a solution, and he calls out to Lukas, who is sitting in their corner again with Catherine.

'Lukas, do we have another saddle ready to use?'

Lukas looks up and thinks for a moment.

'I have one nearly finished, but it's for another order due next week. It'll take me two hours to replace that. Why do you need it?'

'For Catherine,' is the answer, and Lukas groans and reproaches himself, 'Now why didn't I think of that before?'

'Maybe,' Paul says with rather malicious delight, 'because we had a noble visitor to the workshop yesterday, who came to order a steel sword, but also rather obviously wanted a taste of prime Greek?'

As Lukas groans again, exasperatedly, Vincent exclaims, 'He didn't! Lord Alfred Douglas?'

'The very same,' Paul says with relish, 'he came in, admired the workshop, ignored Melissa totally, which few men manage to do, ordered his sword, then came on to Lukas so hard that the poor boy got all flustered. Lukas, the master of love, got spooked by the advances of a young noble Englishman! I thought I'd die laughing. Why didn't you take him to the bathroom, show him a few tricks?'

For some reason, poor Lukas becomes terribly shy with Paul teasing him, and to Vincent it seems rather mean to do that to a friend. But Catherine shows delight, not indignation, and she knows Lukas pretty well already. Then when Lukas answers Paul's question, it is clear he actually likes to be teased by Paul.

'I thought you wouldn't approve Paul, you always say guys belonging to noble families are spoiled, and more trouble than they're worth. But he will be back to pick it up, and if he's still coming on to me then, I'll take your advice. He's very handsome.'

'And a very good swordsman,' Vincent feels obliged to add, Lord Douglas is certainly spoiled and apparently not very faithful to Mr Wilde, but he is a committed fighter, and that gives him a little bit of credit in Vincent's eyes. Besides, isn't Paul a young noble Englishman as well? Who is teasing whom here?

'He told me proudly that you were going to teach him your style, and asked whether we'd seen you fight, and now he wants to meet Bruce as well,' Paul observes.

'I'm not going to your bathroom with anyone, Paul, Lord or not!'

Bruce's seemingly indignant remark gets a general laugh, having the lead has made him much more forthcoming, or maybe it's winning Maud that does it. Apparently the very idea of casual loving is rather distressing to him. Well, and the bathroom itself. And the fact that they're joking about two guys together. He is rather traditional after all.

Catherine shows no shock at all, yet Vincent is totally convinced she knows exactly what these guys are talking about. What has Lukas told her that she isn't shocked at him living with a man and a woman, and apparently not hesitating to make love casually to a young Lord? Actually not so young to him, for he cannot be older than twenty. Vincent decides to ask his daughter, as soon as possible, he's getting positively curious about the 'master of love'?

But first they are going to do some serious physical exercise, and actually, Vincent is looking forward to a nice fight, rehearsals are physically intense, and a good workout can be very relaxing.

When they are all gathered in the basement, Lukas says, 'Last week, Bruce told me I should practise martial arts on bare feet, and I asked to be allowed to keep my shoes on. But I really want to give my all, and for that I need to show you something that may come as a shock to you.'

And with that, he removes his tiny, elegant shoes, not revealing tiny, elegant feet, but a pair of cloven hoofs.

'As Catherine noticed immediately, I am not human, in fact I am a satyr from ancient Greece, stranded on your world. I had horns, which I had to remove to be able to go out on the streets, and I have a little tail, which is why I never wear fitted trousers. My legs are not human legs, they're much stronger, and I can run incredibly fast.

But otherwise, I am completely normal, well, maybe not, for I also love differently. I do not love exclusively, my love cannot be claimed, it has to be shared. Which is what Paul's teasing me with Lord Douglas was all about.

He did come on to me, and I might make love to him if I felt like it, but quickly and secretly, for I can never show him my true nature, that is way too dangerous. I know you will keep my secret, for you have shared knowledge with us that is as sensitive as this, you are used to people being different.

And now I will show you, Bruce, what I can do with unfettered legs.'

In Lukas, Bruce and even Vincent have finally met their match in speed and agility. He says he can go even faster in a straight line, but in the limited space of the basement he is already very impressive to watch. Of course he needs to master the moves and the forms, and that will take time, and he is not very solidly built, but he has the additional advantage of having rock-hard weapons attached to his very legs.

'I can use those even with shoes on, but they do tend to break legs pretty quickly. Not very subtle, I'm afraid.'

Paul has practised a lot, and it shows, and Melissa has also progressed much. They all give their best, Bruce and Vincent teach, and Victor and Mina provide sparring partners.

When they are all sweaty and tired, they take a break with more coffee, then start on the magic lesson.

Adison retreats with Paul once again, and they evaluate everything magic she has done the last week, and it is quite a lot. They debate the use of fireballs versus stuns, and Paul helps her to modify the stun-spell so that it puts an enemy out, even a strong one. She learns how to adapt the impact to the probable strength of the person she uses it on.

Then they discuss what Jakob has told her about removing the possessions, and Paul is truly amazed.

'It is just incredible what a mage can learn if he does not limit himself to his own tradition. We use a mishmash of traditions now, and it works like a treat. We all connect, and that makes us more powerful and a lot safer. I'll not be surprised if Jakob wants to include the Chinese masters as well. It will do them good to learn all they can about magic, and they have a lot to teach all of us, very exciting.'

She tells him about the witches' mistress, and their planned raid this afternoon, and he advices, 'If you extend your shields over all of them, she will have a hard time glamouring anyone.'

Next, they tackle a new subject, warding, and now Adison understands much better what Jakob has done to guard their house from intruders. And this time, they quit before Adison is worn out, she has to stay fresh to keep herself safe tonight.