Here you'll find

 

Into the Light

 

 

 

 

26. Travelin' Man

Tim is nodding off on the seat opposite to me. For once he has opted to travel inside the carriage with me, instead of climbing to sit on the high bench next to the driver.

I'd be nodding off, too, if I weren't so excited. Oh, I know Tim sure is eager to be home again and to see Dalen once more, but he's simply tired, poor guy. Last night's party at the inn was boisterous, to say the very least, and still Tim insisted on sleeping at the much noisier servants' quarters even though I suggested sharing a room. But he had to be proper, and just look at him now. Tsk.

Evening is approaching fast, and I must say I'm deeply relieved to hear the steady clacking of horseshoes on the hard road. The gait still sounds relatively light, and we're making good progress. We'll be there before nightfall.

We are driving along the old High Road from the Gap towards the old Spa. Thank goodness for this road; now we don't have to descend all the way to the city, only to climb the Rise once more. Instead, the carriage rolls briskly along the gently sloping road that will eventually take us almost straight to Chaim's house. It's getting late, and we should actually be there already - if it hadn't been for the heavy carriage that struggled its way up to the Gap ahead of us. Together with quite a few others, we've spent several hours of this day trudging behind the large load that was definitely too wide to be overtaken. And that means that instead of clearing the Gap around midday, we only reached the highest point of the pass when the day had turned well into afternoon.

Right now I am feeling distinctly queasy as I peer out of the window. Oh fuck, we're bloody high up here and the hill is damn steep... Now, I'm not afraid of high places, but I also don't like sitting in a big wooden box pulled by very strong animals that are basically very easily frightened into mindless panic, knowing that it's rapidly getting darker and therefore increasingly treacherous, looking down at a rocky hillside that descends altogether too many yards into...

I turn my eyes away from the window and look at Tim's lax face. A fine young man, that. I wonder if I'd somehow manage to keep him myself even now that we're home - ah, he's waking up.

Tim blinks a few times, sweeps stray hairs back into perfect order. "Sorry, sir. I guess I fell asleep."

"It's all right," I assure him. "We'll get home before dark."

"Oh, that's good." Tim relaxes in his seat, glances nervously out. "This road is not safe in the dark. It was so unfortunate that we got caught behind that big carriage."

I nod. Those horses sure needed the break at the Gap. "The main thing is that we're back in Dirna, and we both know that Maien knows his job. We'll be fine - oh, look over there!"

Tim joins me at the window as I push my head out and squint to see better. There it is, the Spa high up on the Rise, and somewhat below it I can see them. There's 'Albatross Nest', our current destination, then 'The Cliff House' at some distance from it - and there. A third one. I can't help smiling.

"It looks so ready, sir!" Tim sounds astonished and my smile broadens into a grin.

"It is ready, on the outside." Ohh, I can't wait... "And pretty soon the inside will be ready, too."

We peer at it as long as we can, until finally the road curves to that we lose sight of it. But then we're already so close that it's time to start dusting ourselves and stretching our legs, because then - then the carriage sways into a halt.

We step out, rather stiffly, in front of a sprawling white house. With its delicate marble-lace windows, carved pillars and curving ornaments it looks like something seen in a dream, but the unreal feeling is soon shattered when the door opens and an incredulous-looking and very real trio of men bursts out to welcome us.

I have barely enough time to smile before Chaim sweeps me into a bear hug. "Toni! Good heavens, Toni, we only expected you back in about a couple of weeks!"

I laugh with him. This feels so unbelievably good. "I know, Chaim, but we've really hurried, haven't we, Tim?"

Well, now I've seen everything. The impeccable, imperturbable Dalen is flushed, smiling, hugging Tim very very tight...

Chaim smiles fondly, glancing over his shoulder at them. "You sure have, to be here already! You'll stay the night here, won't you? We will not let you rush to town any more tonight, in the dark and all."

Chaim's arm is still around my shoulders as I turn to hug Kim, too. He's smiling broadly. "Welcome back, Toni! You sure surprised us!"

"That was the plan!" I grab his face between my hands and smirk to him. "Well, and did Chaim give you my greeting from Uman?"

"Oh!" Kim blushes but laughs, points a threatening finger at me. "You - you - that was a nasty trick! But I dare say Chaim delivered the greeting in a very nice way, thank you."

I mock-punch him as they drag me inside. Gods, I never realized just how exhausted I am, until now, and yet I can't help stopping to gape. The house is totally incredible. Completely in the spacious, elegant Old Donjati style. Large rooms, cool atmosphere, rounded portals, pillars. And indeed, there's a painstakingly rendered artificial brook that emerges from a wall, flows in a meandering canal through the large living-room and disappears again into a pile of rounded rocks.

"Wow." It just begs to be stared at. "I never realized just how amazing this place is."

"Look over there!" Chaim points towards the adjoining room.

Wow, once more. I can see something black and shiny there. "So it's arrived safely! Any damages?"

"None whatsoever." Chaim smiles like a loving parent at his baby. "Of course it had to be tuned, but that was only to be expected. No, it's in perfect condition."

"What a relief..." And I fully mean it.

"You'll want a bath, I bet, and then some food!" Kim baby, how right you are. "Come, I'll show you the guest bathroom."

"Will you come and wash my back, too?" I waggle my eyebrows at him but he just shakes his head so that dark curls bob on his forehead.

"Oh no. I don't want to explain anything to Rashim. Come on now!"

The bathroom is a fantastic affair, as was only to be expected - isn't Old Donjati just about synonymous with bathing? - and I'm hard put not to remain soaking there for a small eternity. But my stomach reminds me that some dinner would be much appreciated, so I crawl reluctantly out of the resplendent basin and into my room. Obviously Tim and Dalen haven't been just staring into each other's eyes in the meanwhile: some of my luggage has been unpacked, and I manage to find enough clothes to wear so as no to offend Kim's sensibilities.

But when I pad out of the room in search of my hosts, I very nearly choke on my tongue. What the hell has happened to Kim? Chaim, he looks his own gorgeous self, in soft slacks and a loose thin jumper, but Kim... is wearing something that, I admit, suits this place marvelously well. A silk tunic reaching down to mid-thigh, in model more reminiscent of his native 'Demieni shirts, but he's wearing it in genuine Old Donjati fashion. Meaning that he has nothing underneath, except for something that is tight and black and tiny enough so that the slits on both sides mostly reveal just some more of his legs when he moves.

He grants me a sly look and curls up on a divan. He has very nice legs, I must say. Not as nice as Rashim, obviously, but - very nice anyway. And I can't help wondering where the real Kim is, because there's no way this kitten can be the same person as the rather shy and intensely private young man who stayed here with Chaim only about four months ago. Or can he?

"Come on, Toni!" Chaim gestures at a table full of bowls and plates, each containing more delicious snacks than the one next to it. "Let's relax now, and you must tell us about the journey!"

"No, you must tell me about what's been going on here!" I counter. "First of all, has the opening performance already taken place?"

"No," Chaim says and I heave a deep sigh. That has been my biggest concern. "It's in about two weeks."

"Thank goodness!" I indulge in delicious deep-fried chicken. "So it would've been before I get back, if we hadn't hurried?"

"Don't blame Rith," Kim puts in. "There's going to be quite a few big events in about three weeks, concerts and visiting theater troupes and all. She didn't want it to be drowned in all that fuss."

"Okay, maybe I'll forgive her." I'm feeling magnanimous. We made it in time, and that's the main thing. "And how about my house? Is the secret still a secret?"

Chaim laughs. "Oh yes," he purrs, "everybody is just dying to know what more I might still want up here! I've dutifully buzzed around and visited the site almost daily. And the workmen have been nicely obliging, too, although I'm sure they know who it is that ultimately pays them their wages."

Oh, this is good. This is so good, to be here with friends, relaxing and knowing that in the morning I won't have to get up and brace myself for yet another sweaty day inside the swaying carriage. That it's okay to feel overtired, because tomorrow I can walk down to town if I want to.

This would be absolutely perfect, if only a certain green-eyed imp were here with me. But I'll survive one more night without him. That will be the 133rd in a row, and it will be the last one.

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