Love and the Dark Night

PART TWO, SEVEN

David’s POV

David was in his living room, sitting beside the four-foot porcelain jar, running his fingers over the outline of God Horus. The streaks of light from the chandelier on the ceiling played on the modern painting of Mother Teresa on the wall across. It was late. The storm had subsided but there was still some lightning that obscured the stars. Looking out of the window his face was lifted to the patch of sky the window gave him. Damn it, and he banged his fist on the arm rest of the couch. 

Someone needs to remove Rudi. Do I have anything against him personally? The heat in my body is already bringing out the poisonous adder from my mind. And with its forked tongue I want to strike Rudi. I hate him because he speaks so well in public. In his drawling and raspy voice, he makes people see reason. He tells them to focus on the now, to see the present and remove the past and not to think of the future. His telling them to take one day at a time has made them shower roses on him. If I can catch him off-guard, I can and very effectively release my hatred and pay back some old scores. Yes, old scores as in the land and money his father, my paternal uncle, had robbed my father of. Besides, he is gaining honour from the public which will help him compete in the coming election and keep me far behind.  

“Lynette…,” he called out to his domestic help.

Lynette had turned the shower off and was wiping her dark complexioned body when she heard her master’s voice. “Yes Sir.” She responded from the mass of curly hair over her eyes and while clipping her bra.

By this time David was at her door. “…Make me a cup… oh sorry…”

“No it’s okay, Sir.” The slave girl had just snuggled her legs into her panty by then.

 “…of coffee.” David’s eyes fell on her cleavage. He had earlier resisted his physical passion to rain down on her but now it seemed to swirl in his brain and fill up all the cells there. His s*x hormones by now were aroused and he went forward and was not aware that he was hardened. He ran his fingers down the trail of her midriff.  

“Yes Sir.” Lynette said holding the strap of her bra.  

A ping sounded from the mobile phone, and his senses returned from the hazy horizon. David, you’re asleep,’ the text said. “An unknown number?” Immediately another ping Wake up and see yourself. Shall Wessex remain under the spell of one man? Speak out, strike, mend things.

Who are these people desiring me to Speak, strike, mend things.

A loud knocking was heard.

“Lynette, look who’s arrived?”

Since Shasht had talked to me about Rudi I hadn’t slept. There’s a nightmare in my brain. I want to see the end of Rudi, but this interval between the idea of killing and actually doing the act is nothing but a nightmare neighing and howling, and growling each and every moment of my life. The uprising in me is like a novel and unknown virus affecting my entire system.

The slave girl was back. “Sir, it’s your noble friend Shasht at the door. He wants to see you.”

“Is he alone?”

“No, sir, there are others with him.”

“Have you seen them earlier?”

“No, sir, I don’t seem to recognize them.”

“Let them in.”

A conspiracy seems to be brewing, and that is why she has arrived at my door after dark, a time when even the worst evil is free. In that case, where will this conspiracy find a dark enough dungeon to hide its monstrous face by daylight? But that will never be. We’ll kill the wrong one and right everything.

“Hi David. Good evening.” and Shasht placed his hand on David’s shoulder. “I’m sorry we’re imposing on your sleep,”

“I’ve been up for an hour, and awake all night. “Hi.” He looked at the men. “Do I know them?”

“Yes, every one of them,” Shasht said. “And every one of them admires you. And every one of them wishes that you had the same opinion of yourself that everyone has of you. This is Hermen, this Simran, Ranee, Ambrose.”

“Hello. Welcome to my humble home,” and David gestured to them the sofa. “What troubles are keeping you all awake?”

“Nothing but this.” Shasht drew out his cell phone and scrolled in the image gallery. “Here,” and turned the screen for David to see.

“Ah ha. My blood, isn’t it?” David chuckled. “And yet… yet not my blood.” He looked out the window, where the sky was dark yet and a glow had begun to spread on the western sky. He turned his face and looked at the group. “Give me your hands, one by one...”

“And let us swear our resolution,” said Shasht.

“No, we don’t need to swear an oath.” David’s mind was far away. “All of you remain with me and help me to get the highest deal in my realty business and you will be given to hold posts in my business.” He cleared his throat. “In the guise of his oratory, Rudi has been given the best deals, and in the process I have been missing out in growing my business. I was supposed to join up in the two governmental realty projects, but I don’t want to suffer any more losses. And before that takes place, we have to end my suffering, because my suffering is yours too.” David looked from one to the other. “Isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

David shook each man’s hand. “If we don’t act now, then we will be letting ambitious tyranny enjoy free reign. Rudi has snatched your jobs, not forcibly but through his oratory skill.”

“What about Cecil?” Shasht said. “Shall we sound him out? I think he’ll stand stoutly with us.”

“Let’s not leave him out,” Ranee said.

“No, by no means,” and Ambrose nodded.

“Yes, let’s include him,” Simran said. “His silver hair will give us credibility and his oratorical skills will persuade people to commend this deed. They will say his wisdom ruled our hands. They won’t talk about our youth and wildness, but it all will all be buried in his gravity.”

“Should we really bring him into it,” David said, tapping his finger on his cell phone. “Let’s not include him, because he will never follow anything that other men begin.”

“Then leave him out,” Shasht responded readily.

“Actually, he’s not right for this job,” Ranee said.

“Umm, by the way, should we kill anyone else besides Rudi?” Simran said.

“Good point,’ Shasht said. “I don’t think it would be appropriate. His other friends will lose their foresight once when the headlight is damaged. They won’t be a dangerous opponent anymore. So let them outlive Rudi’s death and mourn for a few days and get back to their partying days.”

“Or start the fun and frolic from the evening of their friend’s funeral.” Simran added.

“Yes,” David said. “Our actions will seem too bloody, Shasht, if we cut off the head and then hack the limbs, like killing out of envy or spite. Rudi’s friends are only his limbs. So, let us be sacrificers but not butchers, Caius. We’re all standing up against Rudi’s spirit and in the spirit of men there is no blood. “David paced up and down and then looked at Horus’ image. “If only we could destroy David’s spirit without dismembering his body! But unfortunately he must bleed for it. And, friends, remember we are gentle by nature and it is this inherent superiority in Rudi that has awakened our blood. So let’s kill him boldly, but not in anger. Let’s carve him as a dish fit for the gods of our gentle nature, not hew him like a carcass fit for vultures and dogs. And let our hearts, as subtle employers do, stir up our feelings and limbs to a deed of murder and afterwards rebuke them. This will show that our action is necessary and not done in envy. Then, seen by the common man, we will come across as purgers, not murderers. As for his trusted friends, forget about them because he can do no more than Rudi’s limbs can once his head has been cut off.”

“But still,’ said Shasht, I’m concerned about them because in the deep-rooted love they have for Rudi…’

“Good Shasht,” and David rested his hand on Shasht’s shoulder, “forget about them. If they love Rudi, the only thing they will be able to do will be to run on their own swords, but not on us. And that’s the most they can do because the only thing they are good for are sports, wildness and partying.”

“There’s nothing in them to worry about,’ Ranee said. “Let them not die. They will live and laugh about this in time.”

The grandfather clock began to strike. ‘Quiet,” David said. “Three strokes.”

“Three o’clock,” Shasht nodded.

“It’s time to go.”

“But we still don’t know whether Rudi’s coming out today or not,” Shasht said, “because he’s become superstitious lately. I overheard him talking to himself about a voice on his head. He’s changed from the general opinion he once had and now believes in fantasy and dreams. It’s possible that these wonders we’ve seen, the unaccustomed terror of tonight and the urging of his voice, all these may prevent him from going to the Town Hall today.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Hermen said, a light laughter escaping from him. “If that’s what he has decided I’ll tell Anais and she’ll easily change his mind. He loves to hear stories about animals betrayed by their own incaution, like the unicorn who was betrayed into being trapped by piercing a tree with its horn and getting stuck there; the bear caught because it saw its reflection in a piece of glass and thought it was a cub; elephants that can be caught in ditches covered with twigs and leaves; and men with flatterers. But when Anais tells him he hates flatterers he agrees with a full-throated laughter, being flattered by that. Let Anais work on him because she can guide his mood in the right direction, and she’ll bring him to the Town Hall.”