Part 14 (2/2)
”Go on,” I urged Philip.
Ethan glanced up from his book. ”Ten-thousand lira, he let him go.”
Philip ignored him and continued to elucidate on his conquest, ”I again descended to the temple of Jazz, and spirited lovely, young Vincenzo away to a small hotel.”
”No mean feat, considering how you terrified him last night,” Ethan remarked.
”I expressed my admiration for his breathtaking beauty.”
Ethan smirked. ”And his soon to be corrupted innocence.”
Philip sighed, contentedly, as he sank back against the sofa arm. ”He's simply too delicious to take so soon!”
Ethan shook his head. ”Told you so.”
Philip closed his eyes, blissfully smiling, ”I shall delay the gratification of my Immortyl desire and enjoy his more earthly charms.”
”He'll live to a ripe old age,” Ethan interpreted.
Philip grabbed a bunch of grapes from a bowl on the table near the sofa. ”If we kill all the beautiful ones what'll be left?” he asked, as he popped a grape into his mouth.
Ethan watched Philip chew and swallow the fruit. ”You have a point.”
”Interested in sharing him?” I proposed.
Ethan was scandalized. ”Mia!”
Philip grinned. ”Wicked- only I don't think Ethan is keen on it. He wants to keep you to his selfish self.”
”You're a corrupting influence on her.”
”Your tercel may be hooded and her jesses firmly in your grip, but perhaps she isn't content to fly for you alone?”
”Mia, what do you have to say about this?”
”He's my life,” I said, with proper awe.
”They all say that at first. That is all I'll say on the subject. A little brotherly advice, little brother.” He s.n.a.t.c.hed up Ethan's volume of poems and declaimed loudly about the room, ”What's this rubbish? Dylan Thomas? How very moderne moderne of you Ethan! of you Ethan! Rage, Rage, Rage against the dying of the light.” Rage against the dying of the light.” He convulsed into laughter. ”Melancholy monster! What a picture you are, looks that any of us would open our veins to have, even this handsome devil pales in your shadow, a lover of legendary prowess, even among us... Am I correct Mia?” He convulsed into laughter. ”Melancholy monster! What a picture you are, looks that any of us would open our veins to have, even this handsome devil pales in your shadow, a lover of legendary prowess, even among us... Am I correct Mia?”
”a.s.suredly.”
”The wits and ability to take whatever he wants, which he does without scruple... A deadly killer, a remorseless predator.”
Ethan grinned. ”Stop reciting my virtues.”
”I'm through- have a little modesty. All of this as well as a sensual morsel of a child who loves him without question and still he broods. Living corpse!” Philip made a cross with his fingers, wailing like a banshee. ”Nosferatu-u-u!”
I collapsed on the sofa laughing so hard tears came.
Philip gestured to me dramatically. ”Look at that! Is that a dead thing? She laughs, she cries, her flesh is warm.”
”So it is,” Ethan mused ”Arrgh! Nineteenth century ghouls with your graveyard poets and gothic tales, you're all obsessed with death!”
”Life's but a walking shadow. I believe those words were written in your day?” Ethan chided. I believe those words were written in your day?” Ethan chided.
Philip grinned. ”A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
I giggled. ”Must you quote the Scottish play?”
Philip heaved me up over his shoulder. ”Pardon me, as I carry this female b.a.s.t.a.r.d hence and bear it to some remote and desert place quite out of our dominions. carry this female b.a.s.t.a.r.d hence and bear it to some remote and desert place quite out of our dominions.”
I laughed but as he recited the pa.s.sage I had a premonition- this was what Leontes said when he banished his daughter Perdita in A Winter's Tale.
”And that thou should leave it without more mercy to it's own protection and favor of the climate.
As by strange fortune it came to us I do in justice charge thee on thy soul's peril and thy body's torture that thou commend it strangely to some place where chance might nurse it or end it.”
Philip carried me out the back door to the terrace, dumping me unceremoniously into the fountain. ”Your baptism, lady!”
Shrieking and sputtering I leapt from the water, diving at him full force. It was like hitting a brick wall, but he fell backward off of his feet and crashed to the pavement stones. We laughed and wrestled, as I tickled him.
”Ethan help, your falcon has mistaken me for prey!”
Ethan stood over us, shaking his head. ”Mia, do act like a lady. Let him go. He's not man enough for you.”
”I can take on a dozen like her a night,” Philip boasted, pinching me extravagantly on the bottom.
”But you don't.”
”That's fine talk coming from you you. I like like her... She's divinely endowed high and low.” He rolled over top of me. ”Shall we make the beast with two backs?” her... She's divinely endowed high and low.” He rolled over top of me. ”Shall we make the beast with two backs?”
”You aren't fit for polite company,” Ethan scolded.
I scrambled from beneath Philip, announcing loudly, ”I'm going in to change.”
Philip sighed. ”Like a Directoire Directoire beauty- frock all wet and clinging.” beauty- frock all wet and clinging.”
”You're a libidinous nightmare,” I told him.
I went upstairs and threw on a new dress, before I went downstairs to join them, finding them looking out at the moonlit bay from the terrace, chatting. Then Philip said something really interesting.
”The money will be wired shortly. Find out all you can.”
”Quiet. We're watched sometimes. Dirk's being positioned for second in command. The alphas uniformly hate him but Gaius keeps him close.”
”Thoroughly nasty sort.”
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