The Blue Book

The third chapter. Jeremija Golovin.

The great chandelier laid on the mahogany once smooth wooden floor, silently telling me of grand feasts and dances in great halls filled with impressions and senses. I had attended at a dozen of those events and never once been introduced to the secrets of hitching breaths and rushing pulses.
Sunlight flooded through high windows, or what's left of them. The frames were slowly mouldering away because of years of moisture and persistent winds from the coast and the panes themselves were crushed and smashed from its original place, now laying dangerously on the floor.
The old staircase mostly looked like something you'd want to enter if you had a death wish, which I couldn't claim that I had. The halls were big and bright and as I stepped over the glass shards, the old wooden pieces from furniture and ceilings and the dirt that rested heavy like a layer on everything that had been left behind by the previous owners, I couldn't help but to wonder what really had happened to them. The owners, obviously, not the ceilings. I had a pretty solid guess regarding that, involving mould and little bugs slowly working their way through the material. The owners would be my grandfathers mother and her second husband, who I never really knew. Complicated family tree. My own mother sent me off in early ages utterly convinced that my destiny was to awaken the world from their sleepwalk using my IQ. Mother was a fool, as was I when I believed her blindly, worshipping the ground she walked on not even thinking of to questioning her wisdom. She was my mother after all. Mother and I never lived here, needless to say. My mother and I only got to meet grandfather once but the way grandfather spoke of his mother, it felt like I would have loved her limitlessly and loathed her for her believes.
I shook my body, distracting myself.
My gaze traveled over linen covered couches, cabins, tables, chairs, bureaus and one or two chandeliers that hadn't collapsed by the treacherous ceiling.
I could make it a fine home for her here. It is rotten and withering away but it has potential. It's my family home after all. What would it make me if I didn't at least try and salvage it? I would save it and make her happy here.
'Professor Golovin, sir?' The men had arrived by the modern beast of metal. I'd preferred, actually insisted that they do it the way they always have, I even offered one of my stallions but they had countered with that I had searched for their help and that along with a bag full of bills for their silence that I also had to accept the way they worked.
'Yes, finally, it was about time.'
'Indeed it was, Mr. Golovin, exactly on time, in fact.'
'Indeed no, you're late. Need I remind you of what invaluable cargo I put in your hands?'
'Yes, I think you do.' The men shifted almost unnoticeably, unconsciously flexing their humungous muscles. The man in front of me took a pause, then decided against his better wit (one should hope it was) he wanted to pry in my beloved's condition, after all.
'What in the name of freezing hellfire have to done to the poor girl?'
'That bag I gave you, with several bills, it bought me your silence and more to that, I expect that it would also be enough to keep your befuddled brain clear on what is your business and what is not.' I could sense that particular freezing hellfire in the eye of the man when I wouldn't release my secrets. 'Bring her in.'I demanded.
'What did professor do to the lass? Why isn't she awake? How is she not breathing? How come she doesn't look dead? Where did you find her? What did she ever do to you? Who is she? How...'
The man went silent. I knew well the question that rested on my enemy's tongue. For that is what he is now. He was no complete simpleton. He knew what questions to ask. That made him dangerous. How is it possible that I have only seen her once and still it is her face that haunts me, tearing and dragging at my heart? Why can't I get her out of my head?
I knew that question was the one that failed to escape the bars of my enemies' teeth, and I hated him for it.
'Bring her in.'I repeated. 'Now. And do not dare to lay an eye on her.'
'She is no property of yours. She will break free. She will escape and she will retaliate. Craving revenge for everything you've done to her.'
'Out!" I shrieked. "The rest of you, bring her in.'
Now this, the evil giant muscular beast couldn't dispute about. This was a direct order from the man who held his payment. Slowly, he backed away and eventually he was gone.
The rest of the giants (six and some even seven point something feet of solid muscles, that is huge giants all right) carried her in in the invention. I had to think of it as an invention otherwise I might start to think about it using adjectives men like my new found enemy would use.
'So, professor Golovin, where shall we put the coffin?'
No.
It's not a coffin. It's not.
Because there she lays, in all her glory and beauty, hidden in plain sight by the walls of glass. Eyes closed, lips parted, cheekbones and jawline cutting the air, skin smooth and perfectly tanned, hair laying like an unfolded fan above her brow, her body wrapped up in sheets of linen with hands resting upon her stomach.
'Sir, if I may be so bold, I have to recommend to to see a doctor. A talker, if you'd like, he can... um...help you... hrm... get back on track.'
'Oh, no. Not now.' I responded without any sign of hesitation. 'All is fine. I have been flailing for so long. I am back on track... Right...'
The scientist prolonged the moment. I knew it wouldn't be long.
One of the beauty's fingers twitched.
'Now.'