By
K. B.
Forrest
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This book is a work of fiction. Names,
characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author''s
imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or
locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Taνno Ti
Copyright
γ 2007 K. B. Forrest
ISBN:
1-55410-736-6
Cover
art by Eiris Key
All rights reserved. Except for use in any
review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any
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invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
Published
by eXtasy Books
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In memory of my dear dog friends. May you
wait for me at the
Prologue
Colibri.
Its name is Guanicariga. He understood. The dream began as usual.
He was deeply asleep when he unconsciously tried to sweep away the pesky
buzzing insect, but when his hand brushed against it; he knew he was feeling
soft feathers. He opened his eyes and the tiny bird dazzled him as it hummed
softly, as if beckoning him to follow.
He sat up and soft grasses clung to him.
The night was alive with the sound of coki'
frogs and a multitude of insects, but the jeje'n
mosquitoes did not take his blood. The soft mountain breezes mingled with the
far off scent of the salty ocean. Yuis felt the breeze caress his naked body,
but he didn't linger.
They were calling for him high up on the mountain.
He climbed effortlessly, following the
hummingbird, which never settled on the lush green plants that covered every
inch of the mountain. Leaves were coated with fat drops of dew that didn't
wet his long legs as he passed through the jungle of plants. Wild bananas,
oranges, and grapefruit hung heavy on trees that dazzled as they caught the
first lights of dawn. As they rose higher and higher, he finally saw the red of
the smokeless fire that burned at its peak. He knew where to go. This wasn't
the first time.
"Yuis,"
they said as one. It was his name. He knew this. It was his real name.
"Na-neke?
Why me?" he
responded.
They held their arms toward him, but when
he reached for their bronzed limbs, he couldn't
get close enough. He forced his legs to move, but stopped with a tight shriek
as the forms before him rapidly began to decay until skeletal arms groped for
him.
"Gua'rico
guaki'a, come to
us,"
they cried as they began to fade and stone replaced their once beautiful forms.
Finally reaching the spot where they had
once stood, Yuis raked the dying embers of their smokeless fire with his bare
hands, trying desperately to restore the fire, but it was too late. The Zemis
gazed at him with impassive stone eyes, and he knew he'd
failed them again.
Chapter One
"Naboria
daca! Naboria daca!"
Yuis muttered frantically. "I am
your servant!"
He shot up in bed and noticed that his
sheets were damp with sweat. "What
was I saying? Oh no! Not again!" It was
like this every time! The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he'd
forget! And the images!
He slid out of his bed, and with trembling
fingers, retrieved his large sketchpad. His hand made deep lines, moving as if
possessed of its own will. But it was never just right. Yuis was in a
trance-like state as he drew. Sweat gleamed on his brow and his long black hair
with its incongruent blonde streaks stuck to his forehead. Finally, he sat back
a little. His face had a haunted look, and a small drip of saliva coursed down
his chin. He started violently as he heard a crass voice.
"Yuis!
What are you doing? You'll be late
for work," his
father ranted as he pushed open the door to his room.
He looked at Yuis knowingly and chuckled. "Hey,
slapping the salami this early in the morning isn't
such a wise idea, son. You look like you really got into it! Say, what's
that?" he
asked, looking at the sketchpad. "Ugly!
Wow, good thing you decided to take my advice and get into journalism. Your art
isn't
what I'd call
beautiful!" he
chuckled. "Now
come on, Prince Right Hand, breakfast awaits!"
he said cheerily.
Yuis put down his pencil and examined the
drawing as if for the first time. A creature of some kind. It had the body of a
tortoise with a strangely humped back, and a face that resembled that of a
human. The butt end of it also depicted another face of some sort, but it was a
death mask. He could feel it in his heart that he'd
seen the thing before. He was drawing from memory, but what memory? It had to
be the dream, but he couldn't remember
the dream! Once in a while, he was left with the faint memory of walking
through the lush jungle, but that was all. The rest was a jumble. It was so
frustrating, but it did give him material for his art. Not that it mattered
anyway now.
He remembered art school with a shudder.
Art was his life, or at least it had been. Going to art school had been his
dream for as long as he could remember, but the reality had hit hard. The
instructors demanded creativity, but they were the ones to decide what that
meant. Yuis's creativity
struck them as stilted and weird, and they couldn't
connect with it. He continued to work passionately until one day in his senior
year; he gave in and began to splash colors and rags--anything,
on the canvases. He was applauded by his teachers and peers and rewarded by
good reviews, but his soul shriveled. It wasn't
his art. It was what they'd demanded
of him.
That, and his father's
constant haranguing, made him quit. "You'll
be a starving artist alright, but don't
ask me for money," or "you'll
never make a living with that junk. Commercial art may pay, but it's
all done on computers now, don't cha know,"
he'd
say.
When he finally pushed him into taking a
job at the newspaper that employed him, he'd
been happy for a while. Now it seemed that Yuis could do nothing but embarrass
him. He should have listened to his mother, who'd
advised him to continue with art. Now he had to listen to his complaints!
Yuis showered and dressed. He looked at
his face and rubbed it with his hand. No need to shave today. He looked at his
eyes deeply and shuddered. Sometimes he even managed to scare himself. No
wonder he could never keep a girlfriend. It wasn't
that he was ugly; in fact, he'd been told
that he was model material and had even been scouted a few times, but he was
always in another world. Girls wanted attention, but he was just a freak.
He wanted to be strong and improve his
health. That's why he'd
started to work out so seriously. His childhood fits had stopped, only to be
replaced by these weird dreams. People still ridiculed him, even though he was
now well built. Maybe it was his hair, but fuck it, he'd
never cut something his mother was so proud of. He'd
worn it in a samurai-type topknot his entire life, except recently he'd
taken to leaving out about eight inches of it as a ponytail that came out of
the topknot on the very top of his head. He had dyed that blonde. It looked
cool to him. It also made him feel that he was allowed to be totally strange;
after all, he always had been.
"I'll
never be normal," he
moaned.
The
business suit Yuis had to wear now made him angry. It was so constricting
compared with the jeans he'd worn as a
student. It was so lame to grow up and be a working stiff. He adjusted his tie
and scowled fiercely. Where were his dreams of being a Van Gogh or Gauguin? All
gone--just
as elusive as that damned dream!
* * * *
"No!
For once let me do it my way!" Yuis
said between gritted teeth.
Goldstein shook his head sadly and sighed.
"Look
kid, I've been your
dad's
boss for a long time, and I only took you in for his sake. I really thought you'd
be more thankful. Your work is irregular."
Mr. Goldstein began to enunciate slowly
and deliberately. "You
even go as far as to endanger your father's
position
"
Yuis broke in angrily, "This
has nothing to do with my father. I'm
not riding on his coattails! What
"
The door slammed open and Yuis looked at
his father's reddened
face.
"Look,
Sanders, your son is at it again." Mr.
Goldstein pointed a finger at Yuis. "I
am not a babysitting service. Your son has started to piss me off. We have a
dress code, as you well know, and to see him waltz in here with that long hair,
and now he has dyed the end of it, pierced his ear, and thinks he can come
strolling in here with that cocky attitude of his. Now he thinks he can
challenge his editor. Mr. Douglas had to call me from my work to straighten out
this punk. See to it that he
"
"Shut
up!"
Yuis yelled. The room went silent with shock. "I'm
responsible for myself. I'm twenty-two
years old, for God's sake! Why
do you keep treating me like a kid?'
"Because
you damn well act like one," his
father roared. "Get out
of here at once. I will see you at home, and maybe you'll
get a taste of my belt again, since you insist on acting like a two year old!"
Yuis reddened. He never thought his father
could shame him like that in public. Weren't
they family? He realized he was gaping and quickly shut his mouth, turned on
his heel and left the room. He could hear the low voices of the men as they
solemnly spoke. He could imagine his father groveling for his sake and
something snapped in his head.
"Control
yourself!" his
father was always saying.
Yuis remembered his childhood. He'd
been sickly, and sometimes had fits, whatever that was. He remembered waking up
and seeing his father's disgusted
face as he shook him. "Snap
out of it, Yuis! Stop making your mother worry!"
He flexed his shoulder muscles. Part of
his obsession with bodybuilding was his father's
constant taunts about his feminine looking face. He'd
always forced Yuis to take part in sports, from Little League baseball to
wrestling in high school. He could still hear his father yelling, "You
moron! Swing the bat lower! Follow the ball with your eyes, goddammit! Stop
acting like a girl!"
Finally he'd
quit sports in high school when, during one match where his wrestling opponent
had taken him down in the first round, he'd
seen his father's enraged
face in the front row. After the match, his father had driven him home in
silence. "Sorry,
Dad,"
Yuis had muttered.
His father had just shaken his head and
said, "Watching
you take it up the ass like that really made me want to crawl under a rock.
Have you no pride, son?"
* * * *
He heard a whisper in his head. The voice spoke a language he'd
heard before. His back tingled, and he moved toward his office like a zombie.
He gathered up a few things, and then looked at the clock on the wall. It was
already twelve o'clock! His
meeting had been at ten o'clock A.M.
Had he stood there all that time? He shook his head and took a drink of his
cold coffee. He was frightened now so much that even when the memory of the
meeting struck again, it seemed dull and far off.
* * * *
"So
I heard that his dad threatened to pull down Yuis's
pants and spank him," he
heard a secretary telling another as he headed for the door. "God,
I'd
like to give him a little spanking myself,"
she giggled. "He's
so damn hot!" Yuis
hung back, his face red with humiliation. After a while, he slunk out as the
giggles followed him.
* * * *
Yuis was jarred awake by the sound of his cell phone. He'd
driven all night and then slept in a motel. Then after driving non-stop the
following day, he'd pulled
over to a rest stop before entering the city. Already he'd
noticed the change. Things were grayer and the highway more crowded.
"Mom!"
he cried out as the sleep left his head. "I'm
sorry, I really am. I wanted to talk it over with you, but I've
left for 'm
going to follow my dream."
"I'll
be alright, mν hijo, you're twenty-two.
It's
not like you're running
away. I heard all about it--at least
from your father's viewpoint.
Good luck, baby," she
said softly.
His mother, a slim and beautiful Puerto
Rican had always been his supporter. He was protective of her too. He'd
even gotten into several fights with men who whistled at her pretty body or had
made crude remarks in his presence. That made it hard for him to leave. Why
couldn't she just
leave that man and find someone who appreciated her? He clenched his fists and
wanted to beat his father to a pulp at the thought of him yelling at her and
making her cry. That's it, when I
became rich and famous, I'll get her
out of the clutches of that man.
"Yuis,
listen, you can stay at my aunt's apartment.
She is visiting "
"Oh
I'm
so happy! Now I can start checking on art galleries right away. I don't
even have to worry about furnishings! I should be there by 't
too bad." He
reached the apartment before dark, and noticed it carried the faint smell of
flowery perfume. There was also the fragrance of Maja soap his great aunt used,
but it was tinged with the odor of mothballs. The windows of the apartment had
been thrown open for him and furniture had been uncovered. The bed was made up
with clean sheets. Yuis felt deeply grateful.
Exhausted, Yuis showered, changed into
clean under shorts, and fell into bed. For a moment, he felt uncomfortable
being in someone else's bed, but
his fatigue got the best of him and he dozed off.
In his dream, he was again in the plush
jungle.
He stood on the top of the
mountain and looked down over the misty jungle beneath him. The tree he stood
under was brimming with luscious-looking fruits whose nectarine fragrance
called to him. His body tingled with life. He glanced down at his nakedness and
saw the most beautiful body--his body.
He felt happiness surge.
The fragrance of the fruit
drew his attention again and he began to reach for one. A sharp barking stayed
his hand and he looked down.
Ao'n,
the little dog spoke to him. "Ua'!
Ua'!
No! Don't eat of
that! It is the Guabasa fruit that gives sustenance only to the dead! Take
care, for there is danger for you. The dead feel your approach and they welcome
you! Your work in this world is not done, so do not accept their hospitality!"
Before Yuis could question
him, the dog turned into a stone Zemi with a dog's
head on one side, and a skull on the other.
Chapter Two
Yuis sat
up from his bed, startled and frightened. He looked around fearfully. Had a
sound awoken him? The dream had fled and he remembered nothing but the image of
the dog's head and
the skull. And the fear. He crept out of bed and wondered what he'd
do if someone were in his apartment. He stood silently praying, trying to hear
any sound, but the only thing he heard was the settling of the old building and
the outside traffic.
The dream had really scared him this time,
and somehow he knew it had been different. A glance at the clock told him that
it was 'd
always been superstitious about waking up at exactly 'd
found on the dresser. Not much of a weapon, he thought. He'd
have to get a baseball bat. The kitchen and living room seemed empty. The
bathroom was the only other place he'd
have to look. He slowly pushed the door all the way open with the tip of the
screwdriver. It seemed empty, but what about the shower curtain?
He got a broom from the kitchen and used
it to push aside the curtain. It was safe. Nobody hid there. Yuis sighed and
laughed at his fears. He decided to use the bathroom before going back to bed.
By habit, he closed the door, but a furtive movement in the room caught his
eye. The room was empty. He glanced into the mirror, his penis still in his
hand, and a strangely familiar face flickered for a moment before he saw his
own visage. His heart pounded as he ran from the room and slid into bed like a
scared child. He remembered his grandmother telling him that one must never
look into a mirror after a person you know has died. One must wait for two
weeks. Looking into a mirror at the dead of night was also taboo because
spirits can show their faces to the living through a mirror. It was like a
window into the spirit world.
Although he'd
known these were stories only the ignorant believed, now alone in the dark,
they seemed plausible. At least he was scared enough to doubt his reason. He
shivered under the covers for a while, but sleep eluded him. Finally, Yuis got
out of bed and turned on all the lights. He settled down to draw the images of
his dream until he could no longer keep his eyes open.
* * * *
After a quick breakfast, Yuis gathered the list of galleries he
had compiled, and headed for the subway with a large portfolio of drawings and
a few canvases of manageable size. He wasn't
prepared for the flat-out rejections he received, and by the end of the day, he
was disheartened and exhausted.
Yuis fought to control his tears, but when
he hit the street again, he felt a few slip down his cheeks. He'd
been embarrassed about people noticing him, but he quickly concluded that even
if he'd been
running around dressed in a hula skirt having a massive coronary, people wouldn't
have even looked his way. 't
feel like much of a man when he cried. He'd
always been like that with tears. His father always accused him of being a
girly-boy because of it, but his mom always said that Hispanic men cry because
they are hot-blooded.
He visited three other galleries with much
the same results. The people were incredibly arrogant, and not even one looked
at his work. His heart sank with the possibility that he would have to go back
and beg Goldstein to give him back his job. And his father
What if nobody
agreed to look at his work? What if nobody was interested in his art? What if
his art instructors were right after all?
His throat was choked with the lump of
grief that kept resurfacing every time he thought he was regaining control. He
stared straight ahead and fought his tears by forcing his mind to focus on just
the scene before him.
Maybe it was that he'd
shot too high trying to approach galleries on 'd seen before.
He approached the door and then stormed in as if in a trance, his tears
stinging his eyes again.
It was like colliding with a brick wall.
All of his artwork scattered onto the floor and Yuis sat on the ground with his
knees bent under him. He looked up through tearing eyes to see a well-built man
smiling down at him. He was dressed in a stylish suit, but there was that air
of masculinity about him that Yuis appreciated immediately. His tanned skin
glowed and Yuis could see that he was accustomed to physical activity by the
muscles that were visible on his neck. He blushed when the man smiled, and
realized that he'd been
staring like a country bumpkin--like a jνbaro
"Welcome
to la Galerνa Boricua. We deal exclusively in Puerto Rican art and replicas of
antiquities of our homeland," he
said smiling. "My name
is Felipe Cacique," he
said as he extended his hand. "I take
it that you were so impressed with our holdings that you had to rush in and
and
"
The man was suddenly laughing so hard that he also had to wipe tears from his
eyes. "Pardon
me, would you like a hand?" he
said, his shoulders still heaving.
Yuis fumbled with his spilled work and
didn't
answer. The man's jaw
suddenly dropped as he looked from him to one of his canvases and back. All his
mirth had dissipated, and he took a step back as if too shocked to respond.
Yuis stood and said, "Um
my name is Yuis
um
"
"Yuis!"
he almost groaned. That is a rare name, especially for a boy."
"I'm
not a boy," Yuis
spat back in defense, but realized how lame it sounded.
"Oh
not a boy. Sorry, Miss, I mean, I guess, you
that is,"
the man sputtered.
"No,
I mean, I'm a man,
yeah, I'm sorry,"
he said quickly. "I'm
so tired. Yeah, my name is Yuis. I know it's
strange, but come to think of it, Cacique is a surname I've
never heard," he
said, trying to regain control of this weird conversation.
"Yes,
of course. I am a member of the Taνno tribe, from Borikιn--that
is, "
he said. "That's
why I was so shocked when you called yourself 'Yuis.'
That's
a Taνno name. Caciquea Yuisa was one of the last leaders of our nation. To
insult our people, the Guamikinas, the covered people, forced her to work in
the goldmines that existed back then. She died there from overwork."
Yuis felt him crowding his personal space,
but didn't move back.
"The
Guamikinas?"
"Yes,
the Europeans. They wore clothes, so they were 'the
covered ones.' We went
naked mostly. Why not? The weather is always fair and clothes smell, especially
if you rarely wash, as did the Europeans of the time."
He laughed heartily and Yuis had to join him when he imagined the smell of the
filthy clothing the Europeans wore.
"Your
name
" he
finally asked.
"Yes,
you're
sharp. Cacique is the Taνno word for chieftain,"
he said, but his hands were already exploring his parcel, as if he'd
been invited. He pulled back the cover Yuis had improvised and whistled sharply
when he saw the image. It was one of Yuis's
dream paintings. The form that glared back at him was that of a three-pointed
monster's head with
primitive features.
"Coρo,
oh, sorry. I mean, I've never
seen one like this. Where'd you copy
it from?" he
asked.
"Copy?"
Yuis cried. Nobody had ever accused him of copying! "That
wasn't
copied!"
Felipe smiled indulgently. "So
maybe the gods have come to you in a dream, oh Bohiti, and gave it to
you; because only a Bohiti, a Shaman, can make one of these."
Yuis felt anger and frustration rising to
the surface as he looked over the painting. "So
as far as I know, Taνnos are extinct,"
he said. Cacique didn't respond to
his comment.
"I
mean it's really
good; don't get me
wrong. I just want to know where you found it. I'm
the expert when it comes to Zemis, and I've
never seen this one," he
said.
"Well
you may be the expert, but you're
wrong this time. I don't copy!"
Yuis almost shouted.
"Okay,
already! Hey, I just thought
"
"Well
you thought wrong, jerk!" he
said as he began to gather his things.
"Wait.
Please," he
said. "Let me
see the rest--please?"
Yuis suddenly thought he sounded as
petulant as his little cousin did, but a look at his pleading dark eyes
convinced him. "Okay,
but keep your damn opinions to yourself!"
Yuis opened his portfolio and saw the man pale
as he pored over drawing after drawing. His hands shook visibly and Yuis was
frightened by the intensity of his concentration. Finally, he looked at him
desperately.
"What
do you want?" he
asked simply.
Yuis was taken aback and fought to answer.
Was this man another "What do
I want? Well, I came to "
he enunciated slowly, as if speaking to a madman. "So
far I haven't even been
able to show anybody my work!"
"Well
I'm
somebody. How did you know about us? I mean it can't
be an accident that you paint this kind of thing and end up here! And all of
these Zemis! I've never
seen a one of them, yet they look authentic. No living person could just invent
these!" He
looked at Yuis with suspicion in his dark eyes.
"Zemis?
What are you talking about?" Yuis
asked.
"Oh
yes. So you come here calling yourself Yuis and carrying a treasure trove of
Zemis, but you don't know what
they are. Pretty fishy if you don't mind me
saying so. But never mind. I'm willing to
talk. What do you want?" he
asked again.
"Damn
it!"
Yuis said. "I just
want to find a gallery to show my work,"
he cried. "What do
you think I want?"
Felipe looked around nervously. A sheen of
perspiration appeared on his handsome face and he finally spoke. "Okay.
I'll
work with you, but you know I have to know more. You tell me when you're
ready to deal."
Yuis was confused. "Well,
do you mean you'll show
them? My paintings?"
"Not
sure," was his
response. "Show me
them in person."
"What
do you mean? This is what I have for now,"
he said.
"Fine,
play games if you want. I have a lot to do, so if you don't
mind
" he
grumbled. "And by
the way, it's stupid to
say that Taνnos are extinct. They were forced to mix with the foreigners, but
that doesn't mean there
aren't
those of us who remember the old ways. For your information, a nineteen
ninety-nine 't give me
that crap about being extinct. I am a Taνno, and I follow the old ways."
He was livid and Yuis knew he'd
pushed one of his buttons. It was gratifying anyway. He turned his back to
Yuis. As he stalked off, he saw that his face was reddened and set in fury.
Yuis was so stunned and angry that he quickly collected his work and walked out
without saying another word. He'd had enough
of crazies for the day, he thought as he headed for the subway and his
apartment.
* * * *
It took only a few minutes for Felipe to doubt himself. He ran
to the door of the gallery and strained to see if the longhaired boy was still
within sight.
"Damn!
Damn! Damn! Carajo! What have I done?"
he asked as he buried his face in his hands. This bright and happy day had
definitely taken a turn for the worse with the appearance of that kid. He was a
looker; perhaps that was part of the plan to reel him in. There were only two
possibilities here. One was that he was a baby-faced FBI agent masquerading as
an illegal seller of antiquities; and the other was that he was a real seller
and had pieces that had been hidden away for all this time. A kind of treasure
he'd
always dreamed of!
He'd
thrown him off alright. He'd been so
busy ogling that beautiful face that he'd
failed to catch the warning signs he should have been looking for. Damn!
Now he had no way to reach the kid. If he was a real dealer, then he'd
probably scared him off! He paced the room furiously, recalling each of the
stupid things he'd said while
trying to act suave.
He'd
been feeling weird for months now. There had been dreams
And his decision to
quit pretending he wasn't gay. As a
teen and a young adult, he'd convinced
himself that he was straight and had even dated girls--had
even tried to enjoy sex with women, but to no avail. He was attracted to guys.
He buried his face in his hands. Shame! Shame! He felt it all coming down on
him. He was even involved in art, just like the stereotype. He was just gay,
except he'd never,
ever approached a guy. He imagined going up to a guy and saying, "Hey,
want to date me?" Oh
god, what kind of shit was this? No way he'd
ever do that, well unless he met the right guy. Someone he could really love.
He was traditional enough to know that love was the only thing that mattered.
But those dreams had started when he'd
finally admitted to himself how he felt. Enough fooling around! That kid was
pretty enough to make him want to go crouch in a corner and jerk off, but he
had work to do!
He had a responsibility to his people and
now he might well have blown it! On one hand, he was determined to collect
every Taνno artifact he could find, especially the Zemis. They were sacred to his
people. To think of these rare things in the hands of outsiders made his blood
boil. Only a true shaman could create one, and all of these people were gone
now in this age of machines. He shook his head in anger.
Now on the other hand, he didn't
want to go to jail. His people's laws were
different from those of the Guamikinas, the Europeans; but still he wouldn't
want to end up in one of their prisons. He didn't
think what he did was breaking the law. He often bought Zemis from people who
were illegal dealers. If he didn't, he knew
those priceless religious treasures would end up in some rich Japanese
collector's private
stash. There were many Zemis hidden in such collections. If only he could see
the ones depicted in the kid's pictures!
They were wonderful beyond his imagination and he knew they were genuine. He'd
studied Zemis his entire life and he instinctively knew those to be the real
thing.
Now that he'd
messed up, he could only pray that the kid would return. Life would be hell for
him until he came back. Yes, he'd have to
come back! He felt a wave of grief pass over him, but he squelched it. The guy
he'd
been, well, too lovely. His dark eyes had flashed with anger and pride. That
rich black hair, although streaked with blonde dye, had been worn long like a
Taνno Indian shaman. How could he deny that he was trying to pass as a shaman?
Nobody wore their hair like that but the shaman. The way he tied it in that
topknot, leaving that perfect length of ponytail out! It shone with health and
crackled with supernatural life. That kid wasn't
a Guamikina. He just couldn't be, he
thought. But what if he were a fake?
If he were an agent, wouldn't
they have chosen one like him--beautiful
and dark, just to throw him off? Surely if they'd
been watching him they'd have
guessed that he was gay, after all, he'd
been going to gay bars, even if he did always return alone. The kid calling
himself 'Yuis'
was also a clear attempt to enthrall him. All the signs were there, but he
couldn't read them
for sure. What he was sure of was that the kid hadn't
just happened on his gallery. He was surely part of a well-orchestrated plan.
Would he be led to the fulfillment of his dream to recover the lost Zemis of
his tribe, or would that kid lead him to his doom? Either way he felt trapped
in his web. He felt like a helpless insect attracted to a light that would burn
him up.
As he paced through the gallery, his mind
raced. He prayed that the gorgeous kid would return. His sultry and inviting
face would haunt him until then. The attraction to the bright light of the kid's
beauty and the intrigue of his paintings was enough to convince him to do what
he knew was foolish. He picked up the phone and put it down again. Could they
have bugged it?
Chapter Three
Yuis
stomped out of the gallery and headed for the subway. His mind was in turmoil
as he made his way home, and the worst part was that he couldn't
accept the feelings that welled up in him whenever he remembered that guy at
the Galerνa Boricua. The man was a jerk, that was for sure, but something about
him made Yuis agitated. He let himself into the apartment and left his
portfolio on the floor like some unwanted thing.
"Let
it rot," he
said, and sat down to think. First, he'd
been rejected at every gallery, and then when somebody had looked at his work,
he'd
called him a copier! There was no worse accusation for an artist. To say he
lacked creativity or vitality was one thing, but to accuse him of being a fake
was another thing altogether! He threw an accent pillow across the room and
suppressed a roar of rage. It had been an awful experience. Things would be
okay, he thought. The night of fear and drawing afterwards, as well as the
awful day had made him drowsy. He soon fell asleep on the couch.
* * * *
When he finally woke up, there was darkness all around him. The
silence seemed unreal for the city. Yuis used the bathroom, careful to avoid
looking into the mirror. He laughed at his superstitions, but it sounded tinny
and insincere in the empty apartment. He decided that further attempts at sleep
would be fruitless, so he took out the canvas he'd
begun the night before, and forgot everything as his hand coaxed the monstrous
shapes out of the darkness of his mind and onto the canvas.
When the light of dawn broke over the
dirty city, Yuis put down his brushes and finally slept. When he got up it was
afternoon, so he hurried to shower and dress. He was armed with the addresses
of several galleries in the
* * * *
"Hey,
don't
take it the wrong way. I'm just
trying to make a living," the
last art gallery owner said as he pushed Yuis's
art away.
Yuis was on the point of walking out when
the man took a step forward and handed him a business card. "The
only thing I can tell you is that there may be someone who'd
be interested in your work. He's on "
Yuis took one look at it and shivered. It
was that man's card. The
guy he'd seen
yesterday. The jerk who'd accused
him of copying! He numbly moved toward the subway, considering 't
do it. Something about that crazy Cacique guy made him uneasy, yet he was
strangely attracted. The way the guy had looked at him, almost as if he was
ravenous. Yuis felt a stirring in his loins, and he reddened with shame. What
in the world was happening to him? That guy was a guy, after all!
He went home early, and sat on the couch.
It was dark when he finally realized that he'd
been sitting there in another one of his fugues. He felt crazy now. Wiping the
drool from his mouth, he dropped into bed with his clothes on.
* * * *
The
sharp peeps and droning wings of a hummingbird woke Yuis from a deep sleep. He
looked up and saw nothing. Must have been a dream. The evening cast
shadows through the now dark apartment and he was frightened again. The sharp
ring of his cell phone jarred him up.
"It's
me, Dad," the
voice said. "Mom
told me about your rude awakening in the old Big Apple."
Yuis gulped down his anger and finally
said, "I only
tried a few places."
"You'll
see that it's kind of
like acting. In 's, some at
Burger King, and some even at swanky places. In 'm
not saying you can't make it,
but you have some heavy competition, my dear son,"
he crowed.
When Yuis didn't
answer, he continued. "Hey, if
you're
really set on it, I have some good news for you. You're
lucky, you know. I was ready to disown you, but you're
your mother is such a nag. Anyway, I will be generous enough to forgive you for
now. Soon you'll be back,
begging, and I'll have to
say 'I
told you so.' Anyway, the
good news is that about eight months ago Angela interviewed an art critic who also
runs a gallery. I got to talking to him and when he showed me photos of some of
the stuff he sells in his gallery, I was surprised because it kind of resembled
your work. I mentioned that to him, and he said he'd
take a look. I didn't pursue it
at the time, because I knew it would just be a distraction for you, but
yesterday I called him and he's invited
you to visit his gallery. Now don't say your
Pappy doesn't look out
for his kid!"
"Dad!
Really?" Yuis
cried, forgetting everything else he'd
said to anger him. "He's
in "
"Yep.
He says you can come by anytime."
"Thank
you, Dad, this really means a lot to me--and
well, sorry if I disappointed you. I know it must be hard on you since your
colleagues will be talking
"
"Well,
we'll
discuss that later," he
said with a harder edge to his voice. "For
now, good luck."
Yuis was thrilled. Now he had an insider's
edge, which is what everybody was always telling him he need. He thought of
calling right away, but bathed and dressed instead. When he finally dialed the
number, he was told he would be seen in an hour.
Yuis soon found himself in front of a very
posh gallery. His heart sank as he thought that he might very well be rejected
again, but he squared his shoulders and stepped in. After all, he did have a
recommendation, and he'd been
invited!
After introducing himself to an attendant,
he had to wait for over an hour before Mr. Freunhoffer appeared. He was a tall,
older man with a distinguished look about him. The graying hair at his temples
only added to his polished look. He extended his hand graciously and when he
took hold of his, he brought it to his mouth and kissed it softly. Yuis pulled
away in shock, but the man simply smiled.
"Come
to my office, Mr. Rosales," he
said with a slight German accent. "I was
very pleased when your father called and said you were in town. He has always
been welcome at my gallery, for his reviews are both insightful and pithy,"
he said as he reached for a fine Cuban cigar. "Do
you mind?"
"No,
go right ahead," he
said. The man was already lighting up and the fragrance of the cigar made the
place more exotic, although he normally hated tobacco odors. Yuis looked around
and saw two diplomas prominently displayed. Both were from
"So
tell me, Yuis, may I be so familiar?"
he asked, but didn't pause for
an answer, "what
inspires you to create art?"
He was dumbfounded by his question, but
recovered enough to say, "Art is
an expression of my deepest self, which only manifests itself when I can create
what I feel, without regard to the external self with all its pressures to
conform." He
felt like a fool saying that, but how could he say he was drawing from his
dreams? He'd think he
was crazy.
He smiled and nodded sagely. "Please
understand that I am doing your father a favor by looking at your work. I can't
make any commitment at this point. Usually I have to meditate on the concept
for some time," he
warned. The slight smile on his face made his thin moustache rise up.
"Of
course," Yuis
replied. "I'm
thankful to have the opportunity." He
removed a canvas from his portfolio and Mr. Freunhoffer stood as he viewed it.
One eyebrow rose. Yuis thought it was disconcerting that Mr. Freunhoffer had
slightly crossed eyes. He couldn't tell where
the man was looking!
"Humph.
Have you been to the Galerνa Boricua? They deal in this type of art; replicas,
actually. Mr. Felipe Cacique, I believe, is the owner's
name. Strange fellow, though, I must warn you. He fancies himself to be a Taνno
Indian. I imagine that if you can reproduce these things in clay, he could sell
them," he
said.
Yuis's
throat tightened as he sensed the rejection. It was always easier to send him
to somebody else, but why did he always end up getting referred to Felipe
Cacique's gallery?
"Thanks
for the suggestion, Mr. Freunhoffer,"
he said, trying to keep the anger out of his voice.
"Call
me Albert. I do hope you'll come by
again and perhaps we can talk at length,"
he said. He looked about the room furtively and dropped his voice. "There
is something you should know; however,"
he said. "I have
heard a rumor or two about Mr. Cacique. He may be involved with buying and
selling the very antiquities he claims to be protecting for his so-called
tribe. He may even be under investigation--just
so that you know. I wouldn't want you
to become mixed up in something like that."
Yuis was taken aback. "Really?
That's
terrible."
"Not
a savory character is all I have to say. If he really cared about those relics,
he'd
be against such illegal trading. You see, it only encourages grave robbers and
other malicious fiends who would deface history just to make a few dollars. I
for one would never deal with them,"
he said as his eyes again drifted from Yuis's
face to his crotch. "Oh and,
well
I am your father's friend, so
I must caution you. Mr. Cacique is, well there is no safe way of putting this--he
is attracted to boys like you. He's gay. Say,
how old are you?"
"I'm
twenty-two years old," Yuis
said defensively, although he flushed red.
"Really?
You look like you're a
teenager. Oh, don't look so
offended. I wish I could look like that again! So what do you say we meet at eight
o'clock
tonight, at my Gallery, of course? You'll
enjoy the show."
"Yes
sir!"
Yuis said.
"Now,
now! We're well
acquainted, so do call me Albert, or even Bert, if you wish, Yuis,"
he said as he led him to the door. His hand brushed against Yuis's
behind as he ushered him out with a flourish. Yuis's
cheeks burned as he headed for the door.
* * * *
He began
to walk toward the subway, knowing that he'd
pass by the Galerνa Boricua. As he walked, he wondered how he'd
be able to swallow his pride and approach that awful Felipe-whatever-his-name-was
and ask for another chance. He'd been the
only one even willing to consider showing his stuff, but what was all that
Freunhoffer was saying?
As he approached the subway, he saw the
sign, La Galerνa Boricua. Yuis refused to allow his courage to fail him, but
his pride was another thing. It pulled at him like a physical thing, trying to
force him past the store. He stood before the bright window and the sight of a
triangular clay creature, much like those of his dreams, forced him to stare in
wonder. A voice made him start violently.
"Sorry!
I didn't mean to
frighten you," Felipe
Cacique said in a purring voice.
"I
wasn't
frightened; you just disturbed my thoughts,"
Yuis snapped.
"I
hope I never do that," he
said. "Welcome.
I'm
happy that you returned. This time I will be a perfect host,"
he said with a crooked grin that looked sexy on him.
Yuis wanted to punch that grin off his
self-satisfied face, but he allowed him to lead him in. "Not
doing a brisk business, I see," Yuis
said. He seemed to bristle, but smiled.
"Well
I do have an address on "
he said, besting Yuis again. "I see
you've
been showing your work again."
"Oh
yes, Mr. Freunhoffer down the street--you
do know his gallery?" Yuis
asked haughtily. A cloud of anger passed over his eyes and he nodded curtly.
"Well
he is interested in my work," Yuis
said just to annoy him further.
"Is
that all?" he
asked with a suggestive smirk that infuriated Yuis. "Well,
enough about him," he
said. "I would
like to offer you space in my gallery."
Yuis was shocked. His mouth worked
soundlessly for a moment until he realized that he must look like a jνbaro,
a hick from "I was
wondering if you'd be
interested in seeing some of these rendered in clay,"
he blurted, remembering Mr. Freunhoffer's
suggestion.
It was his turn to look stunned. He barely
whispered, "Yes.
Very much so."
A cell phone rang insistently in his
jacket pocket. "You can
answer it," Yuis
said with a smile.
"Taνno
Ti!"
he said into the phone. He listened with a look of growing excitement and then
looked at Yuis.
"Listen,
I have a long distance call--very
important, but please wait. Don't leave,
okay? Promise?" He
sounded foolish in his excitement.
"Sure,
I'll
be here," he
said.
He disappeared into an office and shut the
door. Yuis suddenly felt uncomfortable alone in the gallery, but the knot of
tension and excitement in his belly twisted and turned so that he felt he would
explode. He saw a bottled water dispenser and got a drink. He decided to
explore the showrooms and guess where his art, yes, his art would hang.
He entered the first room. It was dimly
lit except for well-placed lights illuminating primitive sculptures, which
loomed like heavy, ominous monsters. His head spun as he tried to take it all
in. The combination of the skillfully exhibited works, and the things
themselves, caused Yuis to feel dizzy. There was a familiarity to them.
Somehow, he knew them all, and even their names were on the tip of his tongue.
Models of Taνno villages with their tiny
people were lit up in one darkened room. He saw the round thatched huts and a
few rectangular ones he somehow knew belonged to the Caciques--the
leaders. Naked and nearly naked people went about their tasks, some collecting
shellfish, some weaving thatch, and some playing ball. A mother wearing a scant
cloth over her bottom breastfed an infant as she poked at a fire.
A wave of giddiness made Yuis hold onto
the glass case as he thought he heard the sounds of the village. The murmur of
voices in a language somehow familiar to him came from the village, and instead
of tiny forms, Yuis now saw himself in the village. He stood naked in front of
a rectangular hut. People went about their business as if he were a familiar
sight. He could hear a man pounding dried roots with a smooth stone, and
children cried out as they chased irregular balls in the distance. A woman ate
some soft food from a banana leaf, while a large parrot helped himself to some
of it. She occasionally brushed it away, but it was unafraid.
Yuis saw that his own hands were covered
with moist clay and he looked with dazed eyes at the scene before him. In front
of him a man poked at a fire to reveal several fishes and strange roots wrapped
in banana leaves which were placed on the hot rocks. The smell of cooked food
wafted up to him and his mouth watered. He looked down at his hands and entered
the hut as he remembered his task.
A large clay form sat in the middle of the
room. His hands glided over it and began to push up on the form until a large
hump adorned its back. Then he took a purple seashell and began to form the
faces. One, he knew was a stylized hummingbird. Its large eyes and long, down-turned
beak ended in a smooth, foot-like base. The other side resembled a turtle's
head with a large mouth that almost grinned. He pushed down with his shell on
the side of the hump and turned it so that a round hole appeared. He did the
same on the other side of the hump.
His hands began to deftly smooth the
piece, when he was jarred back to the gallery by the honking of a taxi outside.
He started when he saw that he had his hands on a large, ancient-looking
sculpture. It was the one he'd been
working on in his--what was
it? A hallucination? A dream? His hands trembled as he drew them back with a
gasp. What had happened? His heart pounded as he backed away from the thing.
He backed into a door that was slightly
opened, and his head hit the end of it. He rubbed it and looked at the
offending door as he pushed it open all the way. It opened into a darkened
room, which held large sculptures. Some were in stone, some in clay, but one
thing he was sure of--these were not
replicas. These were the real thing! What were they doing in a storage closet?
There were a few large crates in one corner and a crowbar lay next to them.
Yuis gasped as Mr. Freunhoffer's words came
back to him. Was Felipe Cacique a dealer in illegal art? Did he exploit the art
of his own people?
The sound of brisk footsteps startled
Yuis, and he quickly closed the door.
"So,
are you enjoying our collection?" he
asked with a smile. His face was flushed and covered with a light sheen of
perspiration. Yuis was surprised at how that made his handsome face light up.
He smiled back uncertainly and stepped away from the closet door and into a
gallery.
"I
like your replicas very much," he
found himself saying. "You
deal only in primitive art?"
"No,
well in a way, yes. I have a large collection of art produced by poor artists
in "
he said as he walked further into the place.
In the room he stopped in, Yuis saw large
paintings done on various materials. Some were even worked on old cardboard,
but they caught the flavor of the island like nothing else he'd
seen before.
"You
see,"
he said, "only
someone without the consciousness of what art 'should'
look like could produce such things."
There were also baskets, needlework, and
dolls made of all sorts of materials. One had a head made of a mango seed. Yuis
almost forgot his weird experience as he examined these things.
"This
is all really fascinating," Yuis
said.
"If
I only had more room!" he
exclaimed excitedly. "You
have been to "
"Well,
only as a child," he
admitted. "I
really don't remember
it."
"You
really should visit again. I'd love to
show you our tribal headquarters sometime. We even have thatched huts like the
kind in here," he
said, and he grabbed Yuis's elbow and
pulled him into the room he'd been in
when he'd
experienced that fugue.
"You'd
love to see it. Our village is reproduced in exact detail. See, the rectangular
huts are where the
"
As his eyes fell on the various scenes, he
felt another wave of dizziness and he pulled away from Felipe and felt himself
floating.
Chapter Four
The soft
humming of the wings of the bird woke Yuis. Tender lips brushed over his face
and he opened his eyes to see someone gently blowing air from pursed lips. The
warm breath caressed his face and he felt his body strain to meet the inviting
suppleness of the cheeks that were so close to him. His nipples tingled with
pleasure as that body brushed over his chest, and an exciting warmth surged
down his body, making his hips rise slightly to receive him.
Bitter awareness broke into his
consciousness and Yuis felt his cheeks redden with embarrassment. He tried to
sit up quickly, and felt the erection in his pants.
"Sana
culito, sana," he
sang softly as he pushed Yuis down. "Are
you okay?"
"Where
did you learn that ditty, and how dare you sing that to me?"
he asked.
"My
mother always sang it to me when I got a boo-boo,"
he said with disappointment. "I
thought it was a spell to make someone better."
"Sure,
jerk. It means 'get well,
little butt," he
spat.
"Seriously,
are you okay? You fainted," he
said.
"I'm
fine. I guess I
I don't know.
Maybe I haven't been
eating well; I don't know,"
he said. "But I'm
okay now. Thanks. I didn't mean to be
ungrateful."
"I
hope you weren't mad that
I, you know, blew at your face. We Taνnos believe that by doing that, you can
breathe the spirit force back into a person. I hope you're
not offended, but I feel closer to you now that I've
helped," he
said sincerely. "Hey, I
can help with your bad eating habits too. I know a great place to eat. We can
go out tonight and
"
"No!"
Yuis cried. "Listen,
I guess I better be on my way now. We'll
talk again later," he
said as he stood and straightened his jeans. He hoped the lump hadn't
been noticed.
"No,
wait, please! I can at least call you a taxi. It's
no good after what
"
"No!"
Yuis said with more force than he had intended. "I
really have to go."
Felipe slipped out a card and gave it to
him. "You
will come back?"
"Oh
yes. I'll be back,
maybe tomorrow when I feel better," he
said as he gathered his portfolio.
"Please
leave it," he
said. "I
promise I'll only
look."
"No,"
he said again, and wished he could shut himself up. A perfect opportunity was
slipping out of his grasp, but the memory of his body responding to his like
that
the thought that he would have such an animal attraction to another man
made him want to puke. He wanted to run and never see him again, yet his
treacherous body yearned for just another little touch. Was he becoming a
pervert? Suddenly he wondered if that jerk hadn't
felt him up or something when he was passed out. How else would he have been so
aroused? Maybe Freunhoffer was right. Maybe that Cacique jerk was really a gay
pervert and a molester!
"I'll
be back," Yuis
said simply, hoping that his mind wouldn't
join in league with his own perverted body.
He had his cell phone out again as Yuis
fled the place, and he knew he'd done the
right thing. Felipe wasn't so
concerned about him. As soon as he was headed for the door, he'd
found some other, more important issue to concern himself with. What an
asshole!
He was trudging toward the subway when a
cab pulled up.
"Hey,
kid, get in, I was told to take you home."
"By
whom?" Yuis
asked in surprise.
"The
Spic guy who runs that weirdo gallery right there,"
he pointed.
Yuis considered for a moment, and then got
in. He really didn't want to
take the subway, and he'd just fainted.
He gave his address to the driver and sat back as he tried to recall everything
that had happened to him. Soon the taxi jolted to a stop and he saw he was home
already. He began to dig into his pocket.
"The
guy back there already paid, kid."
Yuis got out and the strong sun made him
shade his eyes. Felipe was still a jerk, he told himself, but he couldn't
shake the certainty that he'd blown a
great opportunity by acting like a fool. He wanted to sell his art, damn it! He
had no right to act up like that, but that asshole was so infuriating!
When he made it up the stairs, he threw
himself on the bed and curled up. What was happening to him? First he'd
had that weird fugue and then he'd fainted!
And who was this Felipe? He put off that he was an innocent collector of his
native art, but what were those fabulous pieces in his storage closet? Was Mr.
Freunhoffer telling the truth about him?
Chapter Five
"Why
did I act like an idiot?" Felipe
asked himself as he slapped his forehead. He made his way through the gallery
rooms, then retraced his steps. Fear coursed through him when he remembered. He'd
been alone and was about to open a crate in his workroom when he thought he
felt someone near. He'd rushed
off, leaving the door ajar--yes, he was
sure of it. That was something he'd never
ordinarily do, but the kid Yuis had been outside, staring at his gallery
window.
He tried the door and it was locked. It
locked automatically, but he had left it open! He opened the door with
his key and looked at the contents. Very incriminating, he thought
desperately. What had he done? If Yuis Rosales was an agent, his goose was
already cooked. He paced the room. There were priceless Zemis in here. One he'd
just purchased from a dealer in
Now maybe he'd
only land in jail. He ran his fingers through his thick black hair and allowed
his agitated mind to fly back to him. In Yuis, his perverse mind found peace,
but he would only be the cause of his downfall. It might mean the loss of
valuable relics for his tribe--all because
he couldn't keep his mind
on track when he was around him!
Felipe remembered the way he'd
fallen into his arms like a wounded dove. He'd
caressed that softly curving body to his as he'd
swept him into his arms. He'd been
surprised at the weight of the boy until his hard chest had rubbed against the
boy's
well-muscled chest and he'd responded.
As he laid Yuis down gently onto his couch, he couldn't
help but feel the soft warmth of his skin as he slipped his arms out from under
him.
At first he'd
considered calling an ambulance, but he'd
hesitated. The man looked so much like a sleeping boy-nymph. His rose tinged
lips were slightly opened, revealing perfect teeth that shone pearly white. His
delicately upturned nose gave his face a mischievous appearance, as if he'd
been born of a fairy, he thought. His full lips and huge eyes made him into a
rare beauty.
Instead of calling a doctor, he'd
blown into his face as his mother had taught him. He'd
sung the spell to Yuis not so much as a joke, for he did believe in the power of
words, however silly they sounded. When consciousness had begun to return to
Yuis, he'd known by
the soft fluttering of his long eyelashes. When his lovely eyes had first taken
him in, he'd seen
desire there. It was all he could do not to take Yuis into his arms and love
him right there. His body ached for him even as his reason warned him against
his charms. He was the worse sort of enemy.
He'd
been overpowered by Yuis. He hadn't even had
the foresight to check him for a weapon. When his hands had touched Yuis's
body, he hadn't been
seeking guns. His hands had sought his feel; the very essence of him, and he
was still intoxicated.
If Yuis wasn't
an FBI agent, what could he be? He had offered him the pieces in clay! He had
been giving him a covert signal if he were indeed a dealer. He meant that he
had the real forms, the real Zemis and not just the drawings he'd
had made of them. He prayed that if this were true, that he'd
return to him and deal. The thought made him breathless with excitement, even
though something in him warned against the boy's
charms.
For now, there was nothing he could do but
wait. He didn't do that
particular activity well, but he had no choice. He wished that Yuis had
accepted his offer of dinner. He could still smell the spicy scent of his soft
skin. He could still feel Yuis's touch. He'd
allowed his greedy lips to brush against Yuis's
soft cheek and now they wanted more. His crotch was aching now, so he began to
pace back and forth as he wondered about his future. Maybe he should discuss
his meeting with Yuis with the Cacique, but somehow he wanted him to remain his
alone. He didn't even like
the idea of discussing Yuis with anyone.
Chapter
Six
Yuis sat
on the bed in his apartment watching the daylight fade from the sky. Outside,
the city seemed to be rumbling with renewed energy. He listened to the sounds
of the city knowing he ought to consider Mr. Freunhoffer's
offer, but after the day he'd had, it
all seemed so petty.
Maybe going to the art show would also
help him forget today's weird
events--that would
surely be a plus. Yuis found that he couldn't
close his eyes without seeing small details of the village he'd
imagined while at Felipe Cacique's gallery.
He still remembered the feel of the clay yielding itself to the form he saw in
his mind. Worse yet, was his memory of Felipe's
strong arms--the way his
lips had brushed his cheek, and his body's
yearning for more. He shook his head to dislodge the thought, but it was
useless. Yes, he had to force himself to go out and face the world. He'd
come to
That thought galvanized him into action.
He rummaged through his suitcases for something suitable to wear. It was
evening, and judging by the size and quality of Mr. Freunhoffer's
gallery, Yuis guessed that this would be a fairly swanky gathering. Jeans were
out of the question. The only thing he had was one of his old work suits. He
dressed quickly and considered his hair. His father had urged him to cut it,
but he just wouldn't. His
mother had protected him against the barber all of his life, saying that it was
a religious tradition in her family. His loosened it and it tumbled down like a
river of black water that almost reached the floor. The ends were blonde,
making it look like a fox's tail. He
leaned forward and began to wrap it into a knot on his head, leaving the ends
out so that the blonde foxtail bobbed at the very top of his head. "I'm
an artist, okay? I'm allowed to
look weird," he
argued with himself.
He glanced at his watch and realized there
was little time left before the show at the gallery opened. As he thought this,
Felipe's face
flashed in his mind and he tried to push it away. He's
bad news.
* * * *
"Hey,
kid, I don't have all
night!" the
cab driver grumbled as he pulled up in front of the Freunhoffer gallery.
Yuis felt flustered and uncertain as he
paid the driver and squared his shoulders. As soon as the cab driver left, Yuis
felt weird. Something was wrong here. Perhaps he'd
misheard Mr. Freunhoffer? Maybe he'd given him
a different date for the show, yet he'd
been certain he'd said
tonight at eight o'clock! He
felt a wave of embarrassment. He looked up at the dark gallery and hesitantly
climbed the stairs. His uneasiness grew.
He finally found Mr. Freunhoffer's
office and paused. There was light streaming out from under the door. He
knocked and after a moment he heard shuffling footsteps. Mr. Freunhoffer stood
on the other side of the door with a genteel smile on his face. His thin
mustache curled upward with his lips.
"I'm
so glad you could make it, Yuis."
Yuis thought he smelled alcohol on his
breath. His pale cheeks were somewhat flushed, but he seemed as perfectly
refined as before. He took Yuis's hand and
kissed it as he'd done
earlier. Were all these art dudes perverts? Yuis looked past him and saw
that they were alone. Embarrassment made his cheeks redden. He smiled at Yuis
again and gestured him in.
"You
are the picture of youthful luster tonight!"
he said, giving him a once over that made Yuis's
blush deepen.
"I'm
afraid I misunderstood; I thought you said there would be a show tonight,"
Yuis said.
"I
most certainly did, and of course there will be,"
he said, "But it
will be private. I am so sorry you misunderstood my meaning, but I trust you'll
enjoy yourself anyway in a far deeper manner."
He must have seen shock on Yuis's
face, but he smiled again and said, "I'm
sure you'll find it
helpful to discuss the details of your career thus far. I do feel that as an
art critic, I should know intimate details before recommending a piece. I need
to have an understanding of the inner beauty hidden by the artist's
inhibitions."
"I
was hoping you could introduce me to some of the art critics and artists of the
area," Yuis
said, hoping he hadn't insulted
him when he saw his mouth thin. Yuis wondered if he weren't
just imagining a hidden meaning in his words, but he was anxious to get back on
a safer subject.
"I'm
sorry, but I believe I was trying to explain that I feel more comfortable
introducing someone I really know. Please, have a seat."
"Yes
sir,"
Yuis said.
He laughed softly. "Please
call me Albert, or Bert, if you please. I don't
want all that formality," he
said. He gave his shoulder a familiar squeeze.
"You
are very new to the city, Yuis. Just look out there!"
He made a sweeping gesture toward the glittering lights that shone through the
picture window. His hand landed on his thigh and Yuis fought the urge to move
away. "You
have no connections in the art world, and you need help getting started. I must
confess I enjoy getting new artists set up and giving them the guidance they
need to make it in this arena. It's not easy,
I can tell you."
"Thank
you very much for kindness. I am happy to have someone willing to help me, but
I'd
hate to impose on you at this hour. You must be tired,"
Yuis said, shifting uncomfortably.
"Not
at all, Yuis," he
grabbed his hand in his two hot ones. "You'll
find that I'm no old man
who can't take a
little bit of the nightlife. If you feel more comfortable discussing these
issues during the day, so be it. We will meet, say, the day after tomorrow; but
still there's no need to
go rushing off, especially since we're
both dressed for an evening out. Let's
have dinner and continue our discussion on a lighter note. Perhaps the ambiance
of this place is not to your liking."
He reached for a phone without further
adieu and said, "Bring
the Mercedes around front."
Yuis found that he had no time to think.
As Mr. Freunhoffer guided him outside, the fresh air renewed his strength and
Yuis decided that it might not be all that bad to accept his invitation.
Soon he was riding in the back seat with
Mr. Freunhoffer. "It is
up to you, of course, but I feel that I must become one, so to speak, with the
person I will promote. It is a great responsibility, you understand, and I have
to feel that I get something out of it as well."
"My,
you say so little," Mr.
Freunhoffer noted, as if he'd given Yuis
a chance to talk.
"Well,
yes, you were saying such interesting things,"
he smiled, hoping it didn't appear as
false as it felt.
When they reached the restaurant, Yuis was
indeed impressed. He suddenly felt shabby in his off-the-rack suit. Soft
conversation and music filled the place, along with the clinking of fine
glassware. They were led to a table in a private alcove with a marvelous view
of the city lights without Mr. Freunhoffer ever asking for it.
"I'm
known very well here, you don't need to
look so shocked, dear boy," he
said. "You'll
soon learn that the only way to success in this mean city is through wealth
and/ or influence."
When the waiter came over with the menu
and the wine list Freunhoffer didn't bother
scanning it, but said, "Give me
the 1999 Romanιe-St-Vivant, Grand Cru."
Yuis knew a bit about wines and he tried
not to squirm with uneasiness. Two of his paychecks would hardly cover the cost
of that one bottle. What was he expecting at the end of this? He shuddered.
Yuis was relieved when he ordered for both
of them. Ordinarily he'd have been
angered by such a move--after all,
the guy was acting like his father, but he doubted he could even read this
menu, and this was not the time or place to act like a jνbaro
By the time the food came, Albert had
drunk enough wine so that his words were slightly slurred. Yuis shifted
uncomfortably.
"You
don't
like the wine?" Albert
asked. "Perhaps
you don't hold your
alcohol well?"
Suddenly Albert's eyes grew
hard and his mouth thinned. He began to rise, but Yuis turned and saw Felipe
Cacique staring at them with disgust. His face was flushed with anger and his
mouth worked wordlessly as if he wanted to object to something.
"Well
if it isn't Mr.
Cacique. I didn't know you
frequented this sort of establishment; you see, they serve no buffalo meat. The
powwow must be on another street." He
smiled at his own joke, but Felipe's face was
rigid with fury and his fists were balled in anger.
When Yuis met Felipe's
eyes, all he saw there was disgust and rage. "What
are you doing here with him?" he
demanded of Yuis.
"Um
that's
none of your business," Yuis
managed.
"Mr.
Cacique, please meet my protιgι, Yuis Rosales. I don't
believe you have any claim on him, so please allow us to dine in peace,"
Mr. Freunhoffer said. "Say,
Yuis, you never told me you were having an affair with this man. I really don't
approve of that sort of thing, you know."
He looked at Felipe with revulsion, but
the younger man sprang onto him like a snake, grabbing him by the collar and
lifting him out of his seat. A waiter immediately appeared and whispered that
he was calling security. Felipe allowed Freunhoffer to slip down and he looked
at Yuis with reddened, furious eyes.
Yuis wanted to say something, but Felipe
grabbed him by the elbow and led him out by force. Yuis was too shocked to
struggle, but as the night air hit him, he gasped and landed a blow to Felipe's
arm.
"Let
me go! What the hell was that about?"
"Listen,
Yuis," Felipe
growled, "maybe I
was out of line, but you don't know what
that guy is into! He's the lowest
scum and
"
The valet pulled up with Felipe's
car, and he opened the door for Yuis. "Please,
listen, come with me and I'll explain
it all
please!" Felipe
begged, but Yuis shook him off again and was already heading for the subway.
Yuis ducked into the station and felt
safer. What had just happened? He wasn't
some boy-toy to be fought over by two crazies! He wanted nothing to do with
either creep.
The evening had been a disaster. He'd
wanted a chance to get into the art scene, but now the only two guys who'd
been interested at all hated him now! As he opened the door to his apartment,
he wondered what it was between Albert and Felipe. The scene inside the
restaurant had been volatile. Were they rivals or something? It was more than
rivalry, though. They hated each other, that seemed for sure, and now he felt
that he was in the middle of it. Before he went to sleep that night the last
thing he saw in his mind's eye was
the look of anger in Felipe's eyes.
Chapter Seven
Yuis
woke from a restless doze at eight o'clock
the next morning. The sunlight streamed through the bedroom window, but Yuis's
head ached and he felt tired and sad. He felt like he'd
been thinking about Mr. Freunhoffer and Felipe all night, and he wished he
could just reclaim the feeling of wild joy he'd
felt when he left his old life behind. Why were things so complicated all of a
sudden?
Things were so much harder than he'd
hoped they would be, but perhaps there was still a chance for him. Felipe had
said that he was very interested in seeing his pictures rendered in clay. No
matter what Albert said about his character, Felipe did have a gallery on 'd
really looked at his work! The only problem was that he was sure Felipe hated
him!
Yuis took a shower and as he got ready to
face the day, he indulged in a daydream of seeing himself walking through a
posh gallery that displayed his artwork. After a sketchy breakfast, he took the
subway to the Utrecht Art Store for some clay. He wanted to complete a
sculpture by tonight. The store smelled of oil paints and Yuis felt at home at
once. He got the clay and he sorted through the tools that he could use to
shape the clay, finally picking out a set that cost too much money. At the
counter, he gulped back his consternation when the total came up. The man
behind the counter smiled at him. He was dressed all in black and his hair was
a charming shade of purple.
"You're
so beautiful I wish I could give this all to you for free!"
he said.
Yuis blushed and wondered if everyone in
"Are
you new in town?" the
man asked.
"Sort
of,"
Yuis said. "I grew
up here, but I've been away
for several years."
"Oh
yeah? What brought you back to our lovely city?"
"I
wanted to follow my dream of being an artist. Right now I'm
trying to get the galleries to pay attention to my work."
"Frustrating
isn't
it?"
he said. "I've
been trying to do the same thing for five years now! I figure if I stay at this
job much longer, the boss will have to give me one of those shiny badges they
hand out to department store employees who have been working proudly for
minimum wage for twenty-five years."
Yuis could feel his sadness. He tried to
think of something comforting to say, but the purple-haired man continued, "So
do you work mostly with clay?"
"No,
I use oil paints most of the time. I'm
not even sure where I'll go to get
this fired."
"Wait,
I know a place. A friend of mine runs it; he'll
do it for a great price. Let me give you the address."
Yuis thanked the kind, purple haired man
and was happy when he left the store and walked out into the bright sunshine.
He would break into the art world; he wouldn't
end up like that cashier! His art was something he could feel from a deep place
within, it wasn't something
that could be ignored by the world for long.
By the time he arrived at his apartment,
he had such a determination to get at least one presentable piece completed
before the day was gone, that he could barely contain his impatience. He laid
his purchases out on the bed and took the clay to the kitchen table. The
familiar earthy scent of the clay brought back memories of lazy summer nights
when he stayed up and worked until his sculptures were finished. Those were
such carefree times.
Yuis set to work at once, but after a half
hour of toying with ideas, he decided it would be easier to work from one of
the canvases he'd already
composed, but to his growing frustration, the tools he'd
bought slipped in his hands, and the clay seemed to grow more stubborn the more
he worked at it. Time was passing and it seemed like he was getting nowhere.
What if Felipe forgot about his offer to show his work? What if he was too
angry and wouldn't talk to
him? If he let too much time go by, the chance of that happening grew.
He sighed. Perhaps he just needed to take
a break. He covered the lump of clay with some plastic wrap and washed the red
mess off his hands. He ate a few almond M&Ms and decided to gather his
courage and call Felipe. He told himself there was no reason to be nervous and
besides, he needed to pursue his offer and set up a time for them to meet.
He braced himself for the sound of his
voice, but the telephone rang until the answering machine picked up. He was
surprised at his feeling of disappointment; he thought he'd
be relieved to not have to talk with him.
"Hi,
Felipe, this is Yuis, the guy with the art you looked at the other day. Um
Sorry
about last night. I really was just trying to get someone to show my stuff. I
just thought I'd call and
find out if I could come in sometime and show you some of the work in clay like
you wanted to see. I'll call you
back later to see if you're in; bye."
He couldn't believe
that he was so desperate that he'd risk
seeing that nutcase again, but what choice had he?
He hung up the phone and went back into
the kitchen reluctantly; the lump of clay looked distasteful. It was remarkably
like the self-conscious work of beginners who try to form art without any idea
of the principles of design.
It must be that I'm
trying reproduce the wrong canvas. He selected one with smooth graceful
lines that looked easy to duplicate. To his intense frustration, even after the
sun set and the clock on the microwave read 'd first
started hours ago. He was so angry that he thought he might scream. The face of
sculpture was all wrong, and the back looked awkward and askew. His eyes were
burning with exhaustion, so he finally put the plastic wrap over the unfinished
piece and washed his hands.
He told himself he hadn't
been defeated and that he hadn't just
wasted a great deal of time and money. No, he was on the brink of a great
breakthrough. Yuis grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and downed it in a few
gulps. He got another and felt the cold liquid in his gut, but out of the
corner of his eye, he saw the statue leering at him from under the plastic
wrap.
With a strangled cry of rage, he leapt
upon the badly formed wet statue and pounded it into a shapeless heap. Still
panting with fury, he got another beer and headed for bed.
Nothing seemed to be going right, and his
father's
predictions of his failure seemed all too true. Not only were the gallery
owners cold jerks, but now he seemed to be losing his touch! The magic that was
his art always came effortlessly. It wasn't
really work for him before! He cried tears of rage and helplessness until he
was exhausted. The tears on his cheeks dried and the traffic noises from outside
droned on as Yuis slipped from consciousness.
Yuis looked around him in
wonder. The silver moonlight lined the leaves of the jungle and made his naked
body glow. There was something different in the misty air, a sweet tension that
excited him and made him fearful at the same time. A gentle breeze drifted over
him and caught a lock of his shining dark hair, which had been loosened. It
carried the scent of crushed greens and wet earth. He smiled and drifted
forward towards something urgent and primal.
Ahead he could see delicate
orchids hanging from a tree limb. The blooms were caught in the moonlight and
as he drifted closer, he could smell their delicate fragrance. Suddenly, a deep
and haunting call resonated through the night like a message from a place too
mysterious to be known. A sweep of dark wings above him made Yuis look up.
His eyes focused on the
beautiful owl, as his powerful black talons grasped a tree limb near where Yuis
stood. Each feather was so soft that Yuis wanted to brush one against his lips.
The great owl wings folded gracefully and he turned to look at him with round
yellow eyes that held a look of hunger. The heat of his stare touched a deep
place inside of Yuis. He knew this messenger from the gods. His name was
Mukaro.
Yuis reached for him, and
the feathers from his face started to fall to the ground like radiant petals.
His eyes took in their beauty, but they were drawn back to their source. As the
feathers fell, Felipe's face
appeared and he watched as the soft feathers left every part of his body. He
stood before him, taut and yearning. His eyes were no longer yellow, but the
fierce look of hunger was the same. As he turned slightly, Yuis could see the
bluish-green sheen that reflects from the eyes of animals.
Felipe yearned to touch
Yuis and his hands moved, urging him, begging him closer. The slight breeze
caught Yuis's hair again
and his nipples peaked as the cool air glided over them. The sounds of the
frogs and insects pulsed in tune with his rising desire. Yuis was drawn to the
strong figure before him, but he hesitated, taking a step back, and tensing.
Felipe's
eyes burned with need and his mouth opened slightly, but he didn't
speak. The life force around Yuis throbbed with energy and he could feel Felipe
calling for him. It seemed that the jungle around them gloried in their heat
and claimed them both. The thrumming of the jungle seemed to now echo the
rhythm of their combined passionate desires. Felipe moved toward Yuis and drew
him closer.
Yuis looked up and reached
a shy hand to Felipe's face. The
warmth of his skin sent a delicious shiver down his lower belly. Yuis slid his
hand down to the hollow of Felipe's throat and
could feel him moan with pleasure. Felipe touched his shoulders and his hands
slid down his back, drawing him closer. Yuis resisted slightly, but he could no
longer back away.
Yuis's
curious hands moved down the rise of Felipe's
chest to his abdomen and felt the tension in his muscles. Felipe gently took
hold of his shoulders and pulled their bodies together. This motion made Yuis
ache with anticipation. Yuis could feel Felipe's
hardness against his belly and he knew that he was holding himself in check,
but as he looked into Felipe's eyes, he
could see his control slipping. Yuis's
hand drifted down again and caressed the soft whorls of hair near Felipe's
throbbing shaft. Felipe in turn grasped his cock, and Yuis felt the surging
power of his own arousal.
He groaned and Felipe let
go as he bent to devour Yuis's mouth.
Felipe pulled him closer, pressing his naked body to his. A strange
apprehension stirred in Yuis, and he again pulled away, but Felipe inclined his
head and softly kissed Yuis, nibbling his upper, then his lower lip. His tongue
slipped into his mouth and teased him. He tickled the roof of his mouth and
Yuis moaned softly. Felipe's lips moved
to his throat and slowly down to his chest. Yuis could hear his own hungry
groans as he teased his nipples until they tingled and sent liquid pleasure
through his entire being. Yuis threw his head back, sending his hair tumbling
down his arching back, and digging his nails into Felipe's
back, tried to force him to complete the sweet torture.
As Felipe began to kiss his
way down to that place between his legs, Yuis cried out with animal hunger. Felipe
looked up at him as his tongue made a path up his cock and lingered at the
head, where he pushed hard on the piss slit, causing a ragged cry to escape
Yuis's
lips. He trembled violently as his breathing came in gasps.
Felipe took hold of Yuis's
wrists firmly and began to devour him, delicately sucking and teasing his penis
until Yuis cried out again and again. Felipe pinched the end of it just as Yuis
thought he would explode. He massaged him softly, but refused him his release.
Yuis let out a ragged gasp as his coaxing tongue made him feel like he would
lose control. Wave after wave of surging energy swept over him and he cried out
and arched his back. Felipe let him go and he felt the sweet release with a
shock.
Yuis finally opened his
eyes and looked down at him. Felipe rose and urged him down to the forest floor
to the soft carpet of mosses that covered their bower. The lush growth looked
like a rainforest in itself, and as Yuis lay down, the fragrance of the crushed
growth wafted up to him. He shyly covered his private area and curled away from
Felipe, who regarded him with the hunger of a beast.
Felipe knelt and as he
settled himself down, he stared at Yuis. He pulled him closer and removed the
shy hands that attempted to cover what Felipe sought. There was such wonder in
his eyes; Yuis watched as he took in every part of his body, as if trying to
memorize its sweetness. He touched him tenderly, but the unsatisfied hunger
still burned in his eyes.
Felipe leaned over him and
kissed him with all the ferocity of his need. His hands caressed Yuis's
body and one slid down to the folds of his buttocks. Yuis held his legs
together tight. He wasn't ready for
this, even though he felt his chest bursting with desire. His cock was stiff
again, but this
No! His breath quickened as Felipe coaxed him with his gentle
touch. Yuis looked into his erotic, half-veiled eyes, and he was filled with
need. He reached for Felipe's lips and
they were joined in a frenzied kiss, with each pushing deeper into the other's
mouth.
Felipe's
hand slid down again as Yuis lost himself in the kiss, and he prodded the taut
mouth of his ass. Yuis responded by tightening his thighs and trying to push
Felipe off him. Felipe covered Yuis's
body with his own heavier one, and grabbed his wrists tightly as he devoured
him with kisses. He wedged himself between Yuis's
thighs and rubbed their erect cocks against each other. Yuis cried out as the
pleasure surged through him. Felipe took hold of both of his wrists with one
big hand and dipped his right hand into Yuis's
hungry mouth, taking up the wetness, and he used this to massage Yuis's
nervous and tight sphincter muscle. Yuis cried out in apprehension, but Felipe's
tender fingers made him relax.
Suddenly Yuis felt that it
was no longer a finger, and he gasped in pain as the unfamiliar thing
penetrated him. Yuis was unable to move--unable
to stop its progress. Gently Felipe guided himself in and paused to wipe the
hair from Yuis's sweating
face. He pushed in further and Yuis cried out. His hips felt numb suddenly, and
he thought he would burst. As Felipe began to rock back and forth, Yuis's
body finally began to respond. He arched his back and took him in entirely as
wave after wave of pleasure coursed through him. Felipe filled him again and
again until Yuis was wild. Yuis cried out as he was immersed in glorious heat
that throbbed with the wild energy of the jungle.
After the last ripples of
pleasure had subsided, Yuis opened his eyes; he wanted to feel Felipe's
lips crushing his again, but his form began to dissipate like the mist all
around them. Yuis cried out to him, but the wind carried him away and he was
gone. He heard the deep thrumming of the huge wings, and the bird was gone.
Yuis began to cry out for his lover as he curled up in a tight ball in the soft
grasses. He cried in happiness for his love and in grief for his separation,
but the only one who responded was a bright hummingbird, which peered at Yuis
and cheeped.
The little cry of the bird woke Yuis. The
dream burned in his memory and his body felt languid with satisfaction. He had
never had a dream so clear or so vivid. His skin still tingled. He lay there
remembering, but he jumped when he felt something strange on his hands. His Tνa's
beautiful sheets were smeared and stained with red clay, as well as his cum.
The clay still clung to his hands.
Yuis walked into the kitchen to wash his
hands, puzzled and a little afraid of himself. He'd
never had a wet dream about a guy. Damn, he'd
never even thought of it; how could he know what it felt like? But here he was,
all crusty like he'd come fifty
times during the night. Damn! All these perverts were having an effect on his
mind! Besides that, he knew he'd washed his
hands last night. He would never be so careless and go to sleep with clay all
over his hands. Had he masturbated with the clay, and why did his ass throb
like that? He ran to the toilet and dry heaved until he was faint. What a damn
crazy night, he thought as he finally recovered enough to start to start the
morning coffee.
Then his eye strayed to the kitchen table
where he'd left the
sculpture he'd beat to
death, and the coffee pot fell from his hands. Sitting there like some primal
god was a fully formed Zemi. Yuis felt his knees buckling and that was the last
he remembered.
Chapter Eight
It was
afternoon before Yuis finally awoke from his swoon and found himself lying in a
puddle of water from the spilled pot. He was weak and dizzy still, but he tried
to think straight. Finally he showered and by late afternoon, he was ready to
present his sculpture to Felipe.
The clay object he'd
made during his night of sleepwalking, or whatever that had been, seemed
already hardened when he'd gotten to
the shop where the people at the art store said they could fire it. The man
there had told him it seemed cured, but they'd
put it into the oven for an hour just to make sure.
"Are
you sure you just finished this?" the
man had asked.
"Yes,
why do you ask?" he'd
inquired.
"Well,
I've
been in the business for a while, and if you ask me, this piece is old--very,
very old," he'd
said. "You
see, there're signs of
wear and weathering that you just can't
find on a new piece. Besides, the clay
well, it's
not your run of the mill stuff. You see, there are even bits of debris--straw
and stuff," he
said, turning the piece in his hands.
"Well
I used antiquing media," he'd
lied, but he had no explanation for the straw.
"Okay,
whatever, you must be really good, kid,"
he'd
finally said.
Yuis was shaken by this, but the dream had
left him wondering too. Was he losing his mind? He had to put aside those
thoughts. The day seemed too short for all he needed to do. First he'd
drop off this piece to Felipe Cacique and see if he liked it, and then he'd
call Mr. Freunhoffer and see if he still wanted to show him around his gallery.
He had decided to forget the awful meeting in the restaurant, and make like
nothing had happened. After all, it was their fight, not his. Even if he was in
the middle of it, that wasn't his fault
As he made his way to the Galerνa Boricua,
Yuis tried not to think of the dream. Every time it came into his mind, he was
overcome. A primal hunger had held them both in its grips, had made them
entwine themselves with the power of a wisteria vine as it wraps around itself
for support, seeking its fragrant heights. How Felipe licked him; nuzzled, and
teased him until he thought he could take it no longer! How was it that he
could remember every detail of Felipe's
marvelously taut body--the hammer
of his heartbeat as he held back his own desperate need! Was sex really that
good?
Yuis blushed even though he was alone. It
was embarrassing enough that he was a virgin at age twenty-two, but he felt
that now, just because of that dream
oh never mind. He fought to wash
away the memories. He felt embarrassed and prayed that he wouldn't
give himself away in front of Felipe. It had only been a dream. He barely knew
Felipe Cacique, and he was a jerk as far as he was concerned! But the Felipe of
his dreams was something else
These thoughts continued to follow him as
he entered the gallery. It was quiet there as usual, but he soon heard the
murmur of voices in the back. He decided not to look at the art, remembering
his previous experience, but instead put down his heavy parcel and his
portfolio, and took a seat in the foyer. Before long, Felipe emerged with a
Hispanic couple. They were speaking Spanish, discussing which art would look
best in their newly purchased condo.
When Felipe saw Yuis, he brightened and he
told him he'd be with
him in a moment. When the couple had left armed with photos of the art they
were considering, Felipe approached Yuis smiling and blushing furiously.
"I
apologize. Please forgive me for interrupting your dinner last night. I had no
right, but when I saw you with that man I just
"
Felipe looked miserable as he hung his head.
"Forget
it. I really don't care what
you guys have going. I really want to show my art,"
Yuis said nervously.
Felipe suddenly reached for his hair and
sniffed the air like some feral dog.
"Are
you trying to imply that I stink?" Yuis
bristled as he pulled away from his hand.
"Yes,"
he said with a mischievous grin. "It's
a fragrance so rare." He
sniffed again and his face took on an astonished look; then he blushed deeply. "Very
rare. It's the
fragrance of an extraordinary orchid that only grows in the mountains of Puerto
Rico. As far as I know, no one has been able to grow it in captivity."
His face took on a dreamy look and then he looked at Yuis in desperation.
"I
have a clay piece," Yuis
said in an attempt to quell his own growing fear. He remembered the orchids of
the dream, but he smelled no fragrance now. What was he saying?
"Come
back here," he
said. "To my
office."
Yuis followed him and then opened his
parcel. His own mouth dropped in shock when he saw it again. It was such an
authentic looking shape, but looked ancient now.
"Here,
be careful with that," Felipe
said as he picked it up with reverence and set it on his desk. He appeared
stunned and confused.
"What
what do you want for it," he
rasped.
Yuis wasn't
ready for this. He had no idea what to say. "Um
well I thought you might show it," he
said, feeling he needed time to think. He hadn't
even considered anything like this. "I
have to go now. I have an appointment with Mr. Freunhoffer. He wanted to show
me his gallery."
Felipe's
face registered his immediate anger, but he restrained himself. "Okay.
You'll
leave it here for now then?" he
asked warily.
"Oh
yes, you can keep it and think it over. I'll
be back later today or tomorrow if you'll
be around," Yuis
said, hoping he could consider this new turn of events. What price should he
ask? Was he really serious, or was Felipe just toying with him?
Felipe slid white cotton gloves over his
hands and caressed the piece. Yuis watched with wonder. He remembered those
same hands caressing his body as if it were a rare and beautiful treasure. Yuis
could almost sense the same hunger in his hands. Perspiration was collecting
under his arms and he was unable to speak.
"This
is a Zemi of a rare kind," he
said at last.
Yuis understood that Zemi must be his word
for a statue. He was pleased, yet curious about his reaction to it, but so many
things had confused him lately. Yuis started to leave the gallery, when Felipe
called to him.
"Be
careful. Please."
Chapter Nine
The
gallery was empty now and Felipe was relieved. He'd
almost been given away by his body. Yuis's
scent tempted him, but there was danger there too. This Zemi was such a rare
thing. What was going on? He'd proposed
dealing then and there, and that had been a dangerous, risky thing. If he'd
accepted an offer, he could imagine a bunch of FBI agents crashing in, throwing
him to the ground, and cuffing him. If Yuis were for real, how could he trust
him with such a piece? Such a rare and valuable thing was something you didn't
just leave with someone!
He reentered his office and donned his
white gloves again. He turned the piece around in his hands and examined it
closely. With a magnifying glass he checked it again. Perhaps it was a forgery.
He wasn't sure,
because it looked authentic. Maybe it was time to consult a spiritual source,
he thought.
Picking up the phone, he dialed his
cousin, the daughter of the Cacique, the tribal chief.
After exchanging formal greetings and
chatting for a while, he brought up the Zemi.
"You've
got to be careful, my little Mukaro,"
Anacaona said using his Taνno nickname. "Father
has never been in favor of doing anything dangerous, even if it is to recover
such a Zemi. Besides, you admit that you've
never seen one like it. What if it's a clever
forgery?"
"I
know; it's just that
I really have a feeling when looking at it that it's
the real thing. I'm going to
take a photo with my digital camera and send it to your email account. Will you
show it to Uncle? Maybe he can judge whether it's
worth it. I don't want to
end up in jail, and I also don't ever want
to give our tribe a bad name!"
"Yeah,
right. I can just see the news. 'Taνno Tribe
member accused of buying illegal antiquities.'
They'd
have a field day with that. But sure, send that photo. I'll
call ya back. Watch your back, my favorite little cousin,"
she said.
When he got off the phone, Felipe felt a
warm reassurance. He would follow his uncle's
suggestion no matter what it was. He quickly took the photos and connected his
camera to his computer. He sent them and a note to Anacaona. When that was
done, he settled down to examine the piece more closely. It was wonderful to
hold. The thing was perfectly balanced and hummed with power. He tried to find
signs of forgery, but it was difficult. When he saw a few fragments of straw in
the clay, he thought about carbon dating it. That was costly and could take a
long time, much longer than Yuis might be willing to wait.
Yuis
Yuis
who was he? In his mind, he
saw Yuis with his long hair being lifted gently by the Caribbean breezes. A
hummingbird would be a suitable familiar for him, and he'd
walk along the pristine white sands of the beach below the great mountains full
of jungle life. Why was it that the very sight of Yuis inspired such thoughts
in him? He was probably the spoiled child of some rich fools. He really seemed
too young and innocent to be either an FBI agent or a savvy seller of
antiquities. Looks can be deceiving, he thought as he rubbed his chin.
Going to visit with
Freunhoffer. Sure, there was the idea that he was probably trying to buy
Yuis's
antiquities. Felipe knew for a fact that Albert Freunhoffer bought and sold
antiquities. He didn't care how
the items were obtained, or who he sold them to--Freunhoffer
just wanted to make a buck, that's all. If
Yuis was dealing with him now, it meant trouble. He'd
have to act fast or he'd lose out
to that creep. The thought of valuable tribal Zemis ending up locked away in
some private collection made his blood boil.
The thing that had angered him even more
was the thought that Yuis was romantically involved with Freunhoffer. Why
should that bother him? He hadn't shown any
real interest in him, and his attraction to Yuis was a purely physical thing;
after all, what if he was out to hang him? He didn't
know, so his discomfort, no, his fury at seeing them together was unexplained
and made him angry.
Despite the fact that Freunhoffer had to
be in his fifties, he always had a new boy with him. Usually they were young
aspiring artists. He'd use them
and discard them as he fancied, but they always thought they were so special to
have the chance to be under his wing. Sure, he was good-looking and rich, but
somehow Yuis didn't look all
that shallow, but maybe again, he might be mistaken. He shivered at the thought
that he might actually like Freunhoffer. Perhaps he'd
fallen in love with him, but the old jerk would still use him and dump him as
he pleased. He slammed his fist against his desk. How could Yuis be that
naοve?
Yuis's
association with the man could not be fortuitous though, he thought. It wasn't
common knowledge that both he and Freunhoffer were interested in and often
purchased illegally sold Taνno artifacts. One would have to be very informed,
which led him back to the theory that he had to be either an agent or a real
seller. He felt a chill run down his back, but the insistent ringing of his
phone jarred him into action.
"Mukarito,
it is me, your Tνo Bojekio," his
uncle, the Taνno chieftain said. "Listen,
something very terrible is about to happen."
Chapter Ten
Yuis
felt the uneasiness he had been trying to fend off all morning now gaining
ground. The visit with Felipe a few minutes ago had only added to his confusion
and anxiety. On top of it all, his feelings for Felipe were insane. Just being
near him made Yuis tingle all over, and his dream kept trying to invade his
consciousness. How could his mind have conjured up such a likeness of him in
that dream? Looking into his face, he'd
realized that he'd memorized
every crease, every detail of that handsome visage. The musky scent of his
strong body invited him to take part in the joys it had to offer him.
Yuis shook his head and tried to clear it.
He knew it had to be a crush--just an
adolescent-type crush! The anxiety of leaving home, and then all the troubles
were making him irrational. It was like a grade school kid who got a crush on
his teacher. Yuis wished Felipe were a woman so it wouldn't
make him so uncomfortable, but he'd never been
that attracted to any woman!
He knew he was being foolish, but his
uneasiness grew as he walked to Albert's
office. It hadn't been his fault
that stupid Felipe had gotten into that argument! Still, he felt nervous sweat
make the portfolio in his hands slip minutely. He hesitantly knocked at the
door.
"Enter,"
he said imperiously.
Yuis pushed the door open and saw Albert
seated behind the huge desk that lined one wall. He smiled thinly and rose to
greet him. "Hello
again, Yuis. You look refreshed and well. I trust you now know why I warned you
against that Cacique fellow? Did he assault you?"
"No,
sir. I took the subway home."
"Oh
dear! Now I told you that we can dispense with such formalities. I tire of
hearing my many associates treating me with such decorum,"
he sighed.
"Sorry,
Albert. I appreciate that. I came to show you my portfolio, if you had the
time. The other night you mentioned you would be interested in taking a look,"
he felt embarrassed when he looked blank.
"I
most certainly did say I would view it; however, I don't
recall mentioning that I would be interested. There is a difference, and as you
will see, there is a reason for that. I will look at your work and make
recommendations, but my gallery is out of the question. I'm
glad you could make it on time; there is a lot of material we need to go over
today," he
continued. He glanced at his watch.
"I
wouldn't miss this
opportunity for anything in the world!"
Yuis said.
"Indeed.
You're
most lucky. Most people have to struggle for many years to have this kind of
time with me. Come now, let's not delay.
You can put that on the desk," he
said, pointing to his portfolio. "There
will be time for it later, I'm sure; for
now let me give you a tour as promised."
They entered the first showroom. "As
you can see, I specialize in the artifacts left by the Carib Indians,"
he began to say. "There
are few of these, to be truthful, because these warlike people had very little
proclivity for crafts, preferring to spend their time killing other tribes'
members and consuming their bodies,"
he said with a chuckle.
Yuis felt angry at his comments, but
stayed silent.
"I
have in my possession several original manuscripts written by Spanish
missionaries and the like, describing these people and their savage habits,"
he said, squeezing his arm slightly. "Now
listen here; I realize that in this culture of political correctness, I will be
considered a racist for saying these things, but they are, in fact, true. I see
no reason to hide the truth. I see that the politically correct contingent is
very much willing to delve into the perversities of European culture, so why
not be fair and allow everyone the same courtesy?"
Yuis smiled. "But
those accounts were written by Europeans who thought the natives were savages."
"Yes
indeed. However, these are all the accounts we have, and they are supported by
some archeological evidence. Do you want to deny that the Aztecs, for example,
actually performed human sacrifices? And do you not consider that if we can
feel free to use European accounts to condemn the Europeans themselves, that we
cannot do so for the natives, if that is all we have available?"
He seemed to enjoy the intellectual sparring, but Yuis felt he was up against
someone too well informed to argue with.
"Come,
Yuis. This room holds our Taνno art. Here you can see for yourself. The Taνnos
feared the cannibalistic Caribs. This is not a European fantasy, my dear. Did
you know that the Caribs were also called the Canibs, and this is where the
Spanish word 'canνbal,'
or cannibal, comes from? Well the Caribs were a fierce, war-like tribe that
traveled the
"Some
scholars contend that this was strictly a ritual practice, but I believe that
they came to enjoy these feasts. They would also kidnap the Taνno women and use
them for wives. This is the reason that the Carib women had a so-called women's
language. It was actually Arawakan."
"That
is fascinating," Yuis
said, feeling impressed by his knowledge.
"The
Caribs must have been a frightening sight for the poor, peace-loving Taνnos.
They took great pride in their ritual scarification. They would cut the flesh
all over their bodies, creating horrid scars in patterns meant to terrify their
enemies. Some observers said that the faces of some of the men were so scarred
that they looked monstrous. In addition, many of these tribes would pluck out
every hair from their bodies and heads. Since they went around quite naked,
this must have been a horrible sight indeed,"
he said, taking a breath.
"So
you see, Yuis, the Taνnos cannot be understood without a study of their
archenemies, the Caribs. The Taνnos certainly had more crafts and ritual items,
as you might have guessed, but my interest in the Carib artifacts is based both
on their rareness and their use for human sacrifice."
He pointed to a glass case. "In
this display you see stone knives used to cut the throats of their sacrificial
victims, and in this display are larger knives used to butcher the human
victims."
Yuis shuddered involuntarily. "That's
awful," he
said, even though he might be perceived as being judgmental.
"Taνnos
had no such knives, you see. Their diet consisted mostly of shellfish and
smaller fish. They also ate the fruits and vegetables of their paradise-like
islands."
Yuis barely heard him as he scanned the
room they'd now
entered. Ancient art loomed over him and several display cases held fine
pottery worked by skilled artists hundreds of years ago. Yuis tried to study
each piece, but he began to take it all in at the same time. He stared with
wonder at richly beaded bags and stylized woodcarvings of animals and spirits.
Some of the renderings looked vaguely familiar and Yuis's
excitement and his puzzlement grew. He could easily see his own work fitting in
at this very gallery, but all of these pieces were ancient.
"As
you can see, Yuis, I deal exclusively in North and South American antiquities."
"But
don't
you have any modern art? I mean
" Yuis
started to ask, but stopped when he saw how his lips thinned at his
interruption. "You
know, from natives or anything?"
He laughed, but there was a condescending
note in his laughter that made Yuis blush furiously. "That
kind of work would be considered crafts of local people. I imagine such things
would do well at flea markets and the like. Now then
"
he began, but Yuis interrupted him again.
"But,
Mr. Freunhoffer, all these antiquities were nothing but crafts at the time they
were made. That doesn't mean that
they aren't beautiful
and meaningful."
"What
an intelligent observation, Yuis. But you must understand, in addition to being
beautiful and meaningful, all these pieces are very old. Therein lies their
value. Do you understand now?"
Yuis wanted to object, but he only nodded.
He knew now why Mr. Freunhoffer couldn't
give him a place at his gallery even if he liked his work. He'd
been a fool not to check this out before, and it embarrassed him to think that
he'd
made such a blunder, but maybe he could help him find someone who'd
like to look at his work.
"And
now let's move on to
see some Taνno pieces. I've recently
acquired some fascinating Taνno Zemis, as they call these depictions of the
gods. Did you know that the Zemis were a conduit to the world of the gods and
of the spirits? Only a Shaman could create a Zemi, you see. Sometimes a
chieftain was also a shaman and he or she could fashion these gods, but they
were never made by a non-shaman. I'm sure you
will be most interested in these pieces, since this seems to be the inspiration
of your work, if I recall correctly."
Yuis felt his face redden once again.
Things were starting to jell in his mind. He recalled Felipe's
gallery and acknowledged the niggling worry that had been growing in him ever
since he'd seen the
Zemis. Had he been copying Taνno art unconsciously? He had been to 'd
been exposed to this art as a child and had forgotten.
Yes that has to be it.
"Have
you ever considered going onsite to study the originals? This collection is
very nice, but if this is your specialty, what you need to do is go to the
source. Let's go back to
my office and take a look at your work, shall we?"
They started to walk back to Albert's
office and Yuis was reminded once again of just how wealthy Mr. Freunhoffer
was. Walking through the gallery was impressive.
"Please
have a seat while I review your work."
As Mr. Freunhoffer opened the portfolio,
Yuis tried not to stare at him for his reaction. His face remained bored and
unconcerned as he leafed through the contents.
"Tell
me about the original pieces you drew these from,"
Albert said at last.
"I
made these up myself," Yuis
said.
He raised his eyebrow at him and shook his
head. "Well,
you certainly have a great ability to copy the style of the Taνno Indians."
Yuis wasn't
sure if that oblique compliment wasn't
more of an insult.
"With
a name like Rosales, I assume you are Puerto Rican?"
"Half
Puerto Rican. My father is of Scottish heritage."
"I
see. Well, I assumed as much. You might consider that you are insulting your
father by not using his name, Mr. Rosales-Sanders,"
he chided. "From
what your daddy tells me, you're a hard
worker and you are very passionate about your art. Your father tells me you
have virtually no contacts in the city, so I assume you have no job?"
"Well,
I'm
taking some time off to see if I can get my work in a gallery and
"
He cut Yuis off with a condescending
laugh. "Like I
said, it's not that
easy. You're going to
have to work your way into this. Now, I could use an assistant like you to help
me organize the collections and see to business matters. I'm
away on business frequently and there's
a lot you could help me with."
Yuis's
eyes moved from him to the portfolio. He felt a great reluctance to get trapped
in the work-a-day world once again, but this opportunity seemed golden.
Besides, he reasoned that it wasn't like he
was working for the newspapers or something. He'd
be working in an art gallery! He'd meet
artists and gallery owners all of the time.
"I'd
be happy to help out," Yuis
said.
"Excellent.
You won't get many
offers like this, especially with your lack of experience. All you have to show
is a few pictures, and those aren't even
researched, am I correct?"
Yuis nodded reluctantly.
He sighed and shook his head. "Like
I said before, you want to study this material in person and familiarize
yourself with every aspect of the culture. If you can't
speak fluently about this, then no one will regard you as an authority on Taνno
art. I have to go to 't
miss seeing it or meeting him. Can you be ready at seven o'clock
in the morning the day after tomorrow?"
Yuis was shocked and for a moment couldn't
get his mind to switch gears. A free trip to
"Yes,
I can manage that. Wow, I don't know what
to say. Thank you very much! The last time I went to "
"Well
you'll
get much needed experience, in that case. I'm
going to be busy until the flight, so don't
be worried if you can't reach me.
I'll
have my driver pick you up at seven o'clock
then, okay?"
"Okay!
I'm
honored, to have this opportunity! Thank you."
As Yuis left the gallery his heart began
to rise. Well for a while there I thought he was a waste of time! I'm
happy I held my tongue for once and put up with him! Now I can see for myself
if my art is original, or if I have some weird memories that have come out of
my subconscious. The idea worried him too. Why did the inspiration always
come through a dream? The thought quelled his excitement as he made his way
down the street.
Chapter Eleven
Felipe
felt the chill deepen as his uncle's urgent
voice came through the line.
"I
have seen the Zemi you sent, my child. It is the same I have seen in a dream. I
saw the great Caciquea Yuisa come to me bearing that same Zemi. This was not an
ordinary dream, you understand. This was a vision. It is not this Zemi that she
insisted that I bring to her. The Zemi she carried, the one you have in your
possession, is meant to protect you from the Maboya, the evil spirit that has
its eyes on you. Keep it with you, my son.
The Zemi that Caciquea Yuisa has ordered
us to recover is in danger. An evil man in Cayey--a
grave robber, has just come into the knowledge of the location of a great Zemi.
We have long known of this Zemi, which was still reigning from the peak of the
mountain Y'u'kei'o
in the Yunque rainforest in our Borike'n.
From this place, it protected the land of the Taνnos from the wrath of Jurakαn,
who sends the hurricane in his eternal anger. In the days when our people
flourished, each village would send its caciques and nitaνnos with offerings
for the Zemi, but the exact place was forgotten. It was a good thing, because
the gods remained safe from the foreigners.
Now this thief has his eyes on the Zemi
and Caciquea Yuisa says that it will soon go into the hands of your rivals. You
cannot allow this to happen. The only way that the god has survived so long
without the offerings, is that in its place, high in that mountain, the Ki',
the Spirit of the Earth; and the Operi'tos,
the spirits of the dead; would bring it nourishments. This is what has
sustained the beautiful land, even though the evil Ankis rule. This Zemi
is sacred to us, but it also has more meaning. It will be the focal point of
our worship for the rest of this millennium,"
he said gravely. "It must
not be moved!"
"What
is the terrible thing?" Felipe
asked. "The
thing you say will happen?"
"The
terrible thing is that the spirits of the dead demand that a life be given, now
that the place of the Zemi has been desecrated,"
the Chief answered gravely. "It has
been touched by the hands of an impure man, and now blood must be shed. This is
the way it has been since the world was first formed. We don't
know what offering Jurakαn will demand. This god is bloodthirsty and has never
been satisfied by a little offering."
"A
sacrifice? They want a sacrifice? Why not offer them a chicken or something?"
Felipe asked in shock. "You can
even get a pig, if you need it!"
"It
is not clear to me, my son. I do not know why they require blood, and we have
no power over whose blood is shed. Never have our people performed a human
sacrifice, and I do not think the spirits ask for this. What I think is that
someone will die in the course of our struggles to protect this Zemi, and
thereby the spirits of the dead will be appeased,"
the chief said.
"Uncle,
I don't know where
to begin, but something strange is happening already,"
Felipe blurted out. He knew he should have come clean before this; now he was
in trouble.
"The
photograph I sent you was of a Zemi brought to me by a young man who calls
himself Yuis. I don't know if
this is a trick, but he had a collection of drawings of Zemis we've
never seen before. But I swear, Uncle, they look like the real thing!"
Felipe started to explain. He told his uncle everything he could; besides the
part about his weird dreams and his unexplained passionate feelings for the
young man, Yuis.
"Uncle,
he could be an FBI agent. I just have to warn you,"
Felipe said, hoping that his old uncle would understand the danger involved. He
worried that the chief might succumb to his tendency to see something spiritual
in every situation.
"Did
you do something bad, my son?" the
Chief asked.
Felipe didn't
know how to answer. He didn't feel that
recovering tribal Zemis was a moral wrong; in fact, he knew that it was a good
thing. The law, however, saw it differently. Laws against the sale of illegally
obtained antiquities were meant to protect native treasures, but because the
government did so little to protect places where these antiquities lay buried,
most of the time the laws only hurt the people they were designed to help.
Thieves still robbed graves, but the
sacred items ended up being sold to private collectors without indigenous
people ever having a chance to even see them. That's
why Felipe had decided long ago to work for the recovery of stolen items. It
was a dangerous job, but he felt it was necessary.
"Uncle,"
Felipe said. "Your
daughter will explain. Ask Anacaona. What I do to recover our sacred things is
complicated, but it isn't wrong.
Still, I am afraid that if this man, Yuis, is an agent of some kind, I could be
in trouble. He seems to know too much.
"What
does he look like, Mukarito? Does he excite any feelings in you?"
the chief asked.
Felipe thanked the gods for telephones,
because if he were face to face with his uncle, his blush would be hard to
cover up. "No! I
mean, he's a guy!"
he heard himself lie.
"Tell
me exactly what he looks like, my son. You need not defend the way you feel,"
the chief said.
Felipe loved and respected his uncle, but
he hated the way he seemed to know everything! He wondered if he could read his
mind. It would be very embarrassing indeed if someone could read the thoughts
he had about Yuis. He felt his face flush again and realized it was no use.
"Well,
he has long black hair--and he
wears it like a shaman. It looks like the shiny feathers of a jungle bird. His
face is fine. Each feature quite perfect. He has full rosy lips and shining
white teeth. His nose is slightly upturned and his forehead is high. He is
smallish in stature, maybe five feet eight inches in height, but he looks very
strong. He is capable of great anger and cunning, I believe. Is that good
enough, Uncle?" he
asked with irritation that instantly made him ashamed.
"What
is the color of his eyes?" the
Chief asked.
Felipe thought for a moment. "They
are the color of the 'n."
"You
must find a way to bring him to me,"
his uncle said simply.
"What?
How can I possibly do that? And besides, what for? What do you want with him?
He might be our ruination!" Felipe
protested.
"Bring
him to me. I must speak with him. You will have to find a way, Mukarito. If you
do not, something very bad will happen. He is in great danger, and so are you,"
the chief said.
The phone went dead in his hand. Felipe
wished his uncle wouldn't do things
like that. Now what was he to do? Should he just tell Yuis, "Hey
you have to come with me to visit my uncle who happens to think something
terrible is about to happen to you?"
Or maybe a better approach would be to kidnap him and
Oh God! What a
crazy thing! He lashed out at a trashcan near his desk, kicking it across the
room, but it didn't help. He
just had to try to convince Yuis and if that didn't
work, he'd just have
to disappoint his uncle. Not that the man ever accepted no for an answer!
* * * *
His face
was lit with a smile as he walked down the street imagining a free trip to 's gallery
ahead. Yuis thought it would be a good idea to let him know he would be leaving
town. He knew he had to talk with him about the clay piece he'd
made. Now Felipe's offer of
showing his work seemed urgently important. He knew now that Mr. Freunhoffer,
however generous, had no intention of showing his work. He dealt exclusively in
antiquities, whereas Felipe also showed art done by contemporary artists. He
couldn't ignore him
now.
He walked into la Galerνa Boricua and
stiffened. There was a grace in the way Felipe had set up each piece of art,
but Yuis feared his fierce attraction to both it, and Felipe himself. The quiet
of the place made the objects take on an air of sacredness that never seemed to
escape him.
Yuis felt a chill as he felt the presence
of someone. The stark silence bore down on him and he wanted to turn his back
and run. "Felipe?"
he managed to croak.
"Yuis!"
he said as he stepped out seemingly from nowhere.
A small shriek escaped his lips before he
could stop himself.
"Oh
my God, what are you doing coming out of nowhere like that?"
he asked in annoyance. Yuis cursed the dream from last night as his scent came
to him and made him tingle.
"I
didn't
think you'd be back so
soon," he
sputtered. "Sorry.
I didn't mean to
startle you."
"I
wanted to let you know I'm going out
of town the day after tomorrow," he
said without preamble. His dark eyes had already drawn Yuis in and he was
furious. He'd caused him
to make a fool of himself and anyway, what was he doing lurking in the shadows?
He looked alarmed, "Where
are you going?"
"Mr.
Freunhoffer hired me as his assistant and he needs me to help him with some
work in "
"Well
now that's quite a
coincidence!" he
said laughing and scratching the back of his head. "I'm
headed off to "
"Really?"
Yuis asked. "When
does your flight depart?"
Felipe seemed flustered. "I'd
have to check; um
when is your flight leaving?"
"I
don't
know, but I have to be ready by seven in the morning the day after tomorrow.
Maybe I'll see you.
I wanted to make arrangements with you about the statue I brought in. I was
thinking perhaps you could display it for a time, and then when I return we can
talk about prices?"
Felipe frowned and Yuis wondered what he
was thinking. "I
really don't think it
would be a good idea to display that piece. We'll
have to talk when both of us return. Perhaps you'll
have more understanding then."
Yuis had to choke back his anger. He knew
it was unreasonable to be mad, but after having first Albert and now Felipe
tell him that he didn't have any
understanding of Taνno culture, and therefore of his art, he couldn't
help it.
"More
of an understanding? Perhaps I'll know what
I'm
talking about? Well, we'll see, won't
we?"
Yuis was surprised at the look on his face, but it was satisfying as well. He
turned and left Felipe in the lonely gallery.
* * * *
Felipe
sat in his office after Yuis had left. He fancied that his scent still lingered
in the air, caressing his senses and causing a powerful need to arise. The
stillness that settled over his office without his vivacious presence made him
want to run after Yuis and pull him back. He would devour those sweet lips and
feel the silken skin under his clothes and
Felipe sighed with exasperation. He barely
knew this mysterious young man! There was no call for him to be losing control
of himself. He knew he had to stop daydreaming and get moving fast if he was to
catch up with him. He hoped his Tνo would be proud of the way the he'd
gotten Yuis down to 't catch up
with him.
He flipped through his address book and
called up his travel agent.
"Hi,
Anna, this is Felipe Cacique."
"Oh,
hello again; how can I help you?" the
travel agent asked.
"I
need to ask you a big favor, but I need this to be discreet as usual. A man by
the name of Albert Freunhoffer is leaving on a flight to 's
leaving in the morning. It's of the
utmost importance that you get me on that flight with him."
"I'll
see what I can do, Mr. Cacique. Would you like the seat to be first class, as
usual?"
"Yes,
I'm
sure Mr. Freunhoffer will have booked first class tickets as well."
"I
understand; let me call you up after I make some inquiries."
"Okay,
I'll
be waiting to hear from you."
Felipe hung up the phone and tried not to
drum his fingers. There was always a great deal of work to keep the gallery
running smoothly, and Felipe decided to use the time to straighten things up,
especially now that it seemed he would be leaving on a long trip soon. He
called his assistant, Carlos, hoping that he'd
be willing to come back early from the leave he'd
taken. Carlos' dog had
passed away, and the poor man had taken a leave to mourn.
"Carlos,
how are you doing?" The
line was silent for a moment and Felipe heard the man draw in a ragged breath.
It didn't look good
for him.
"Better.
Better. I want to come back to work. I had a dream last night. In it my poor
dead Paloma came to me and told me that she couldn't
go to heaven while I cried so much. She told me to get another dog. I will obey
her and maybe at the end of this life, she will be waiting for me."
Felipe heard sobbing, but it stopped
suddenly. "I am
better."
"Look,
Carlos, I have to go to "
he asked.
"Oh
yes! I will do great. This will be the first time I will care for the treasures
alone. I will do well!" Carlos
cried.
"Good.
Come tomorrow if you can and we'll talk,"
Felipe said. He knew that even though Carlos was very sentimental, he could be
counted on in a fix. He said goodbye and thought that one more obstacle had
been removed.
He walked out of his office and into the
gallery rooms. He paused where Yuis had fainted. He remembered the feel of that
supple body in his arms. Had he been imagining the fierce look of desire in his
eyes when they'd fluttered
open? The memory made his blood quicken and a sheen of sweat broke out over his
face as the cursed dream invaded his mind again. He could remember just the way
he tasted, and for a moment, he relived the feeling of power that had delighted
him when Yuis had lost control in his arms.
Felipe gritted his teeth and told himself
to get a grip. This kid could be his downfall and he'd
better not let himself get lost in his mystery. Besides, he thought angrily, he
seemed to be falling right into Freunhoffer's
trap. That old creep never gave up when he found something he wanted, and it
was probably even more enticing to him now that he'd
guessed that Felipe was attracted to Yuis too.
He couldn't
waste time thinking like that though. His Tνo was counting on him. Of course,
the old chief didn't have to
smell the fragrance in Yuis's hair, or
battle with visions of moonlight on his warm skin. Felipe wondered what Yuis's
reaction would be if he captured him in his arms and kissed his soft lips the
next time he saw him. Would his body respond; would he push him away? He
imagined Yuis's arms
gripping him and that hard body melting against his. That damn dream!
Would he ever get over it?
The phone rang and Felipe jumped.
"Hello?
Yuis?"
"No,
this is Anna, I'm calling
about the ticket. This wasn't easy, but
I was able to find out his flight number. It's
flight 's a seat
available and I have it on hold right now, but the only problem is that it's
in the economy section. Is this still suitable?"
"Yes,
good work, Anna! I knew I could count on you! Book that flight for me if you
would, I appreciate it."
"Certainly,
sir, I'll have it
done ASAP."
Felipe hung up the phone and called his
Tνo with the great news.
Chapter Twelve
Yuis
shifted in his aisle seat and stared at a passing flight attendant. The seats
were comfortable enough, but with Freunhoffer sitting beside him, he felt stiff
and awkward. He was preoccupied with reading and Yuis felt grateful not to have
to make conversation with him.
An announcer came on and began to speak in
a droning official tone. "Welcome
to flight "
"Looks
like we're on our
way,"
Albert said cheerily.
Yuis smiled.
"Are
you excited?"
The question made Yuis feel like a child
and he didn't appreciate
it. "Yes,
I'm
sure this will be a memorable experience."
"I'm
sure it will be," Albert
said with a smile that lingered. "I hope
you will get to see and experience things you never thought possible."
Yuis looked away and concentrated on
putting his seatbelt on. It seemed like ages, but soon he felt the plane
picking up speed. He imagined the enormous shape sailing into the air and tried
not to think about how his father used to inform him that most accidents
happened during either the take off or the landing. The feeling of being
pressed into his seat began to terrify him and he silently prayed just like the
last time he'd been on a
flight.
"Santa
Maria, "
"What's
that you're saying?"
Albert asked.
To his horror, Yuis realized he'd
been whispering the words out loud.
"Uh,
nothing, I was just, uh, talking to myself."
"Well,
you can try talking to me; I'm not that
bad at conversation. Go ahead and take off your seatbelt now; I'll
get us something to drink." He
called an attendant and ordered.
"Drink
up, my dear boy; this should calm your nerves."
"Uh,
thanks." But it
was alcoholic. Yuis hadn't eaten breakfast
yet. In his nervousness, he gulped down his drink without thinking, and didn't
complain when Albert ordered him another. When he started to feel woozy, he
realized his mistake.
I'm
such a fool!
"You'll
love to see 'll
see date back to the arrival of 't
you agree? Yuis, you don't look well.
Is the plane making you sick?"
Albert stared at his empty drink glass,
and ordered another drink.
"I
do feel a little out of sorts, but it's
really nothing."
Albert locked his tray back into place and
eyed Yuis. "I'm
very sorry. I want you to enjoy this flight. Perhaps if we got up and stretched
our legs for a bit you'd feel
better? We can walk to the end of the plane and then back again."
"Oh,
that's
not necessary, there's no need,
honestly," Yuis
said.
"It's
no trouble; in fact it's something
I usually do before a long flight. Call it my own little ritual."
He solicitously extended his hand to help
him to his feet. What a terrible mistake it had been to drink on an empty
stomach!
They entered the economy section of the
plane and hadn't walked for
too long before Albert stopped abruptly and sniggered.
Yuis saw where Albert's
gaze had fixed and his brows knit in puzzlement. Felipe was seated not far off,
fast asleep. His hair looked messy and his face was slack and vulnerable. Yuis
wanted to cover him from Albert's
penetrating, unkind eyes, but at the same time, he felt bewildered as to why he
was here. He remembered him saying something about taking a trip to 'd doubted
him at the time. Could it be that he'd
followed them? Did he hate Albert that much?
When they returned to their seats, Albert
grinned at Yuis.
"You
know, Yuis, Mr. Cacique fancies himself to be my rival."
He sniggered again and the derisive sound made Yuis cringe. "We're
not exactly on the same page. I bet he's
trying to figure out what I'm up to. It's
just like him to follow me and try to snatch up a few antiquities from under my
nose. Too bad he's so inept
and inefficient. I assume you've seen his
gallery? Tell me what did you think of that little establishment?"
"I
think he's very
passionate about what he does," Yuis
said noncommittally.
"Well,
as you've found
out, Yuis, passion and dreams don't get you
far in the real world. To tell you the truth, Yuis, it's
not as simple as I've put it,"
Albert said.
For the next two hours, Yuis listened to
Albert's story. It
seemed wild, but some of what he said seemed to make sense. Could Felipe really
be like that? Could he be such a bad judge of character?
Yuis was glad when the plane started to
land. When they left the plane and joined the crowd to get their luggage, Yuis scanned
the faces for Felipe. A tap on his shoulder startled him.
"I
was hoping to see you," Felipe
said with a grin.
Before Yuis could respond, Albert came up
alongside him and raised his eyebrow at Felipe.
"Well,
if it isn't Mr.
Cacique; what a pleasant surprise," Albert
said with sarcasm dripping from his voice. "What's
your business here, may I ask?"
"I
should think that would be a more appropriate question for me to ask, since
this is my home, after all," Felipe
said.
The two men were staring daggers at each
other and the last thing Yuis wanted to do was to get caught up in their fight.
Yuis grabbed his suitcase and they started off towards the exit. When they
stepped outside and Yuis inhaled the sweet 'd come home.
There was a car waiting outside the
airport for them, and as they were driven towards the hotel, the beautiful land
stirred powerful feelings inside Yuis. Palm trees lined the crowded streets and
the people seemed radiant and happy. There were gaudy tourist shops decked with
tropical colors. Yuis looked out beyond the bright shops and saw the blue ocean
before it disappeared behind a breast of land. When they arrived at the hotel,
a young man rushed over to help Albert with their suitcases.
"Good
morning Mr. Freunhoffer! Will you be staying in the same room as usual?"
"Yes,
thank you, come, Yuis, leave those,"
he said when he hesitated by his suitcases.
Yuis followed after him. After the sultry,
yet pleasant air outside, the air conditioned lobby seemed too cold. Yuis
caught a glimpse of a chandelier that hung above the dining area, but Albert
was too impatient to get to his room to let him admire the place for long.
Soon, he opened the door to a huge suite with a bay window looking out over the
peaceful
"This
is a cool place!" Yuis
said.
"Please,
make yourself at home," Albert
said.
Yuis didn't
know what to say. Did he intend to have him stay in the same room with him? He
couldn't afford to
book a room of his own in a place like this!
"I'm
so sorry, Mr. Freunhoffer! I can't possibly
afford to stay in this hotel. I better go and find a room somewhere more in my
price range."
He tried to back out of the room, but a
dismissive gesture from Albert stopped him.
"My
dear boy, how could you ever imagine that you'd
be staying somewhere else?" he
asked with a chuckle.
He seemed to be amused by his
discomfiture. Yuis looked from the king sized bed to Albert and blushed.
"Sir,
when you extended this invitation, I understood that it was on an entirely
professional level! I would have never come if I imagined more was expected of
me."
Albert drew himself up and his face took
on a grave expression. "My dear,
Yuis, did you honestly imagine that I would expect you to share the same bed as
me? Do you take me to be a pervert of sort that Mr. Cacique is?"
He laughed derisively. "You
have no need to worry on that score. Please, let's
go to your own bedroom and allay your unnecessary fears. I reserved an entire
suite for both you and myself. If it makes you feel more comfortable you may
lock the adjoining door to my section, and enter from the hall, if you prefer."
Yuis felt his face grow hot.
"No,
no I'm
sorry, I'm sure they'll
be no need for that."
Without answering him, Albert opened the
adjoining door and he stepped inside. The bellboy was just entering Yuis's
room and he set his suitcase by the bed. When he turned back to Albert, he saw
the door closing and heard the snick of a lock being snapped into place. He
stared at the door then looked around his room. On his own vanity table Yuis
saw his fruit basket and a swipe card as well.
So, he'd
gone and jumped the gun! Yuis hung his head. Now Yuis felt like a pervert! How
could he even suspect Mr. Freunhoffer, if the idea didn't
originate in his own head? Yuis sank down onto the edge of his king sized bed
and put his face in his hands. He was so embarrassed! He wondered if there was
any way he could undo the terrible damage he'd
just done to his professional relationship with Albert.
Chapter Thirteen
Yuis had
just finished unpacking when the telephone by the nightstand rang.
"Hello?"
"Hello,
Yuis," Albert
said, "Would
you like to dine with me tonight at the hotel restaurant?"
"Yes,
sir, when should I be ready?" Yuis
asked.
"I'll
meet you there at seven o'clock,"
he said.
"Okay,
I'll
be there."
"Very
well. Goodbye for now," he
said stiffly.
Yuis hung up the phone and checked the
clock on the nightstand. There wasn't
much time for him to get ready. He was thankful to have an opportunity to try
to mend the damage he'd done by
assuming the worst. He picked up his hairbrush and stood before the widow to
watch the breeze ruffle the moonlit water. He brushed out his long, dark hair
until it shone, and then he tied it securely into a topknot. He was ready now,
and somehow he'd try to
mend relations with his boss.
When the elevator doors opened, he saw a
man that looked very much like Felipe sitting in one of the armchairs that were
lined up here and there. When the man lowered the newspaper he was holding, he
realized it was Felipe.
"Why,
what a coincidence!" he
said, standing up to meet him. His smile was genuine, but Yuis felt infuriated.
"What
the hell are you doing here, Mr. Cacique?"
Yuis hissed. He was just about sick of his weird games. Seeing him here at the
hotel was too much.
"I
seem to have made reservations at the same hotel as you. You don't
look too happy about it." His
lips curved into a smile and Yuis avoided his penetrating stare.
"Like
I give a shit," Yuis
said.
Their eyes met and Yuis shivered as
excitement uncurled inside of him.
"So
what are you doing here?" Yuis
snapped.
"Just
business," he
said, but his breath seemed to catch.
Yuis watched his eyes darken with passion
and he remembered that intensity from the dream. The electricity that thrummed
in the air between them pulled them closer, but a soft chime sounded and the
doors of the elevator opened in that moment
"I
have to go; Mr. Freunhoffer is waiting for me,"
Yuis said.
"Yes,
you'd
better go; you don't want to
keep him waiting," Felipe
said, but his words were tinged with jealousy. His jaw was clenched and anger
made his eyes sparkle.
Yuis turned to leave, but Felipe caught
his arm.
"No
wait, I wanted to ask you if you wanted to see the Taνno museum sometime when
you're
free."
"I'm
not sure," Yuis
said.
"Please
consider it. Let me know when you can go and give me a ring. I'm
in room two-seventy. If you want to come anytime
uh
just to talk, I mean."
"Okay,"
Yuis said.
"Okay."
He was still holding his arm.
"I'd
better go," he
said.
"Yeah,"
he sighed.
"Damn
it; well let go then!"
Yuis stepped back and he let go of him as
if he wasn't even aware
that he'd been
holding him back. As he walked away he could feel his stare like a caress. Yuis
felt as though the wild hunger he'd shown in
the jungle dream was simmering just beneath this civilized veil. He shook his
head. Things were getting crazy!
Before he turned the corner to enter the
dining room, Yuis turned back. Felipe's
face looked exactly as it had in the dream. Yuis shivered; his skin was
tingling and alive.
He entered the dining area and left his
sight.
"Did
you settle in alright?" Albert
asked as he was seated.
"Yes,
very well thank you."
Under the table Yuis clenched his fist in
anger. He supposed Mr. Freunhoffer was waiting for him to apologize.
"I
took the liberty of ordering for you since you weren't
here," he
said. "Ah
look, here it is."
The waiter laid out a fabulous spread of
fragrant food, and Yuis had to admit that despite his haughty attitude there
were benefits from associating with Albert. He began to talk to Yuis, but his
mind kept wandering back to Felipe and the way he'd
looked at him. Even now, Yuis thought he could feel his eyes moving over him,
but of course, that was ridiculous. A breeze redolent with the fragrance of the
sea wafted in from a nearby open window.
"Yuis,
you haven't said a
word. Perhaps your distraction has to do with Mr. Cacique? I believe he was
lying in wait for you near the elevators."
Yuis blushed. "I
have no association with Feli
I mean Mr. Cacique, other than a professional
one."
"Well,
I'm
not sure that he feels the same. He's
sitting right over there, and he's been
staring at you this whole time."
Yuis looked over to where Albert indicated
and met Felipe's eyes.
That dog! What the fuck?
Yuis hadn't
been imagining things after all, but the smug look in Albert's
eyes made him furious.
"I
have to use the bathroom," Yuis
said. He had to have time to compose himself!
"I
shall be waiting," Albert
said.
* * * *
Yuis
stalked off, not noticing that Felipe quickly took his place at Freunhoffer's
table.
"What
can I do for you besides call security and ask them to escort you out?"
Freunhoffer asked.
"I
know your style, you lecherous pig!"
Felipe said between clenched teeth.
"Yuis
has just informed me that his relationship with you is one of business alone,"
Freunhoffer snorted. "So tell
me, do you Latin men just put a claim on a girl or even a boy they want to
bang? Does he get a choice in the matter? I think if he does, then he's
chosen me, fair and square."
"Listen
here; I know you and the way you cheat these young men. You know he's
desperate to show his work at your gallery, so you use him. You want to make
him pay by degrading himself. How could you? I've
seen so many young men fall for your false promises. You ruin their hopes and
aspirations! I just care about him, okay?"
"Oh,
is that all? I think the only thing you care about is getting into his pants.
You're
no better than I am. At least I can afford to give him a good time in more ways
than one. Let's put it
this way--may the
best man win,"
Freunhoffer said while a cruel grin cracked his face.
Just then they saw Yuis opening the door
to the bathroom. Freunhoffer made an obscene sound softly, so that only Felipe
could hear.
"You
dirty pervert!" Felipe
growled as he grabbed Freunhoffer by the collar and hauled him to his feet. "Let's
go outside and settle this!"
* * * *
Yuis saw
the commotion and ran to the table as others sat stunned.
Freunhoffer shook him off and straightened
his tie as a security man arrived.
"This
man is bothering us," Yuis
said.
The security man shot a look at Felipe and
asked him to leave. Felipe turned and stalked out of the room as the murmuring
conversations resumed.
"Are
you alright, Albert? What happened?"
"Well
it seems that your lover there found the need to inform me of his claims on
your body. I wasn't aware that
you were intimate with him, Yuis. Why didn't
you say so? And why must you continue to accuse me of indecency? When did I
ever give you the notion that I somehow envision you as a sexual partner? I am
a businessman, not your boyfriend! I may inform you further, that I certainly
do not swing that way. I'm not even
sure I want to work with someone who does!"
He sniffed.
Silence descended on the room again as
everyone eavesdropped on his tongue-lashing. Yuis's
mouth worked silently as he fought with his astonishment and rage.
"You
can rest assured that I am not in the market for a homo lover,"
Albert continued. "I was
under the impression that I was simply a fatherly figure, trying to help you
out. Yuis, do you understand that I am a friend of your father's?
How can you believe that I would do such a thing as take advantage of my friend's
dear son? I am frankly distressed by this turn of events, and why did you feel
the need to set your boyfriend on me? First I'm
accused of trying to force you to share my bed, when all I wanted was to treat
you to your own nice room! How can you abuse my generosity this way? I might
have to call your father and let him know what you are into!"
Tears of shame filled Yuis's
eyes as he sputtered and tried to get in a word.
"No!
No, that's not true,
Mr. Freunhoffer. That guy isn't my
boyfriend! Don't call my
father
please!"
Albert touched his shoulder gently. "Enough.
I guess you see now why I warned you. That Cacique fellow, he's
quite a dangerous man. He has a new boy on his arm whenever I see him. You
could say that he sees boys as disposables. Just use them and lose them, is his
motto. He has his eyes on you, Yuis, if what you say is true. He's
a charmer, but I for one want to stay out of this. I've
been made to feel like a lecherous old man. Call your father if you need
further advice, my dear boy. I want to retire now. An old man like me needs his
sleep! I am a religious man and such things sicken me, quite frankly."
He stood and followed him as he left.
People watched with interest as their drama unfolded. Yuis felt his face redden
with shame. Mr. Freunhoffer looked deeply insulted with his shoulders set rigid
and his face stony.
"I
am well known here at this hotel. I do resent this sort of scene. Maybe it
would be wise of me to choose my assistants with more care,"
he grumbled as they both got onto the elevator.
Yuis tried to keep the emotion out of his
voice, but was unable to hide it all. "I
am really sorry; Albert, but you must believe me! I am not to blame for Mr.
Cacique's craziness.
You said yourself that he's unstable!
You should know he could do this with no encouragement from me!"
Albert grunted and stopped by his door. "Perhaps
you two young people can meet later on tonight. There's
a salsa dance you might be interested in attending. I'm
too old for such pursuits, but it may interest you."
Yuis knew that he could do nothing else to
change his mind, so he opened his door and bid him a good evening. Albert's
door closed with a small crash and Yuis's
mind felt numbed with anger at Felipe. He was the one who'd
done this to him! He'd made
Albert angry, and his earlier blunder with the room had become magnified a
hundredfold. Now Albert thought that he took him to be a lecherous old pervert,
when Felipe was the real pervert! Albert was really a sensitive guy and it was
awful that he'd been made
to feel that way.
Yuis threw himself on the bed filled with
anger and hatred for that Felipe, but when he closed his eyes, all he could see
was his hungry eyes.
* * * *
Alone in
his room, there was nothing to stop the thoughts from churning in his head. The
thought of seeing Felipe again tonight at the salsa dance began to grow in his
mind. He could tell him off. He could find the jerk and punch out his light.
Yuis imagined gut-punching him, then kicking him as he doubled over. He
hungered for a street fight right now!
He got up and tried to walk softly to the
door, when Albert's door
opened.
"Yuis,
are you going to the dance after all?"
Albert peered at him and a knowing smile came to his face. "Be
careful. I feel a responsibility to your father; I hope you understand, young
man."
Yuis froze. His cheeks burned with shame,
but he said, "Yes, I
decided it might be good for me to get out. Don't
worry. I don't intend to
get anywhere near that asshole, except to kick his ass!"
"I
hope you enjoy yourself."
Yuis stomped toward the elevator,
humiliated and enraged.
When the doors to the elevator opened, he
could hear the fast, happy salsa music and he walked toward the sound. The
flashing lights illuminated a crowd of dancing people and immediately Yuis
wished he could just go back up to his room. He couldn't
forget Albert's knowing
smile, and now that he was here, the thought of seeing Felipe in this crowd
filled him with dread.
Could he really confront him in front of
all these people, or was it better to ask him to step outside, in case they
began to fight? On the far side of the room, a set of double doors was propped
open and Yuis could see that it led to a deck. He walked over to it and stood
with the people who were enjoying the night breezes.
He didn't
want to get wound up in conversation with anyone, but it was too soon to go
back to his room. He stared out beyond the concrete walkway toward the beach
where couples were walking hand in hand. The gentle waves lapped at the sand
and the smell of the ocean beckoned to him.
He descended the concrete stairs, but just
before he reached the beach, he cried out as powerful dizziness made him lose
his balance. The steps seemed to dissolve and his body floated down. He fell
onto the soft sand of the beach, and fought to regain his equilibrium. What was
happening to him? He felt like he was in the grip of a nightmare and he was
struggling with a heavy weight. He gasped as the feeling left him abruptly. The
thumping salsa music had stopped. A tropical bird called out into the night and
the sound rose high and then died away. Yuis stood and looked behind him, but
the concrete stairs were gone. All he saw were rough slabs of stone that cut
through the verdant jungle as they ascended through the dense mist of the
evening.
Eyes were on him.
He whirled around as the haunting call of
the owl rent the silence of the night.
Silhouetted against the moonlit waters was
the form of powerful man. He could tell that he was as unclothed as nature had
created him. Yuis took a step backward, but the man ran forward and grabbed
him. It was Felipe, but Yuis's heart beat
fast when he saw his long hair and the untamed look in his eyes. He bent and
kissed him with all the fervor of his rising need. Yuis tried to pull away, but
the heat from his kiss made his body remember what it felt like to have Felipe
inside of him. He held Felipe tight and he could feel his throbbing erection on
his belly. His passion escaped him in a moan of anticipation. His fingers were
buried in Felipe's long hair
and he arched his back as his tongue crept into his mouth.
Yuis pulled back to look at him, but he
cried out in protest.
"Yuis,
I must have you. It's the will
of our ancestors that our souls be forever joined."
His ragged voice and the tension in his
powerful frame made Yuis ache for him. The heat of his skin and the magic in
this wild air uncoiled desire inside of him like he'd
never known. He pulled Yuis down to the sand and kissed his neck. Felipe's
hands roamed over his body caressing him, making him scream out his name in
longing. Ceaseless desire that was as endless and primal as the ocean exploded
in Yuis's head. He
wanted more!
"Yuis."
The word, spoken with such passion, seemed
to fade, but it resonated within him as the dizziness came over him again.
Yuis came back to himself with a start.
People were running toward him and someone knelt in the sand near him. Yuis got
to his feet quickly and a deep blush spread over his cheeks.
"Are
you okay?"
someone asked him in Spanish. "Don't
get up, I'll call an
ambulance!"
"I'm
fine," Yuis
said with a laugh. "I guess
I just had too much to drink. I only tripped. I'm
just fine."
He fled before anyone had a chance to ask
him anything else, and found himself in the elevator going up to his room. What
was wrong with him? He tried to catch his breath, but each time he closed his
eyes he could feel Felipe's hands
sliding over his skin.
The doors to the elevator opened, and Yuis
almost ran to his room before he remembered how Albert had popped out to peer
at him the last time. He crept toward his door and used the swipe card to enter
soundlessly.
He locked the door behind him, and as his
eyes accustomed to the gloom in the room, he could see light streaming out from
Albert's door. The
shadows of his feet appeared and were gone. He seemed to be pacing, but he
stopped.
"I
understand that," he
snapped. "But
pictures aren't enough. I
need to see that Zemi with my own eyes before I give you the cash."
There was a silence.
"Of
course, I know it's dangerous.
But the Zemi must be recovered from the place of worship; that's
half its value. If you've found
what you claim, then I need to see that sacred spot with my own eyes before we
take the Zemi."
Yuis's
mouth dropped open and he held his breath while Albert listened.
"Alright.
If that's the best
you can do for now, send me the pictures via courier and I'll
call you back. Okay. Bye."
He heard him hang up the phone and walk
away. Yuis was paralyzed with fear and trying to make sense of what he'd
just heard. Could Albert be buying stolen antiquities? Is that why he was so
quick to accuse Felipe of doing the same? He tried to think as his body
trembled. What should he do?
He remembered that Felipe had given him
his room number. Should he? How could he go to him now, after what he'd
done? Perhaps he could tell Felipe what he'd
heard. He could be professional about it. Or would it be better to go to the
police? But what could he tell them? It had only been a few words, but
something in him demanded that he go and see Felipe. Yuis felt very alone and
he wanted to see Felipe right away. He had said he could talk to him anytime, but
now he knew Felipe was crazy. Why bother? Well, he could also tell him off!
Yuis knew he'd never get
to sleep with all of that on his mind.
Yuis found the paper he'd
given him and dialed the number with the aid of the moonlight.
"Hello?"
Felipe said.
"This
is Y
Yuis. I need to talk with you right now,"
he whispered.
"What's
wrong?"
"I
just need to talk to you."
"Okay,
can you come to my room
no, go to the hotel garden--that's
safer. There's no one
there since everyone's at the
party."
"Okay,"
Yuis said.
"I'll
be there in five minutes." He
hung up before Yuis had a chance to say another word.
Yuis put the phone gently back into the
cradle and crept out into the hall. He felt safer when the elevator doors
closed behind him.
* * * *
The
doorknob to Albert's room
turned slowly and the shine of his eyes glinted for a moment before the door
was shut.
Chapter Fourteen
Yuis
wasn't
certain where the gardens were, but soon he found himself standing before a
graceful archway that opened up into what could only be the gardens. Primitive
statuary were scattered here and there amidst palm fronds and lush tropical
vegetation. Even in the pale light, Yuis could sense that the dewy flowers
trembling on hanging vines were bright.
He wasn't
sure where Felipe would be, but as Yuis moved through the garden, he saw a man
standing on one of the stone walkways that wound through the magical place.
"Yuis,"
he said when he saw him.
He moved forward. There was concern in his
eyes, but Yuis glared at him.
"What
happened? No, first let me take you to a place where no one can hear,"
he said.
There didn't
appear to be anyone in the garden, but Yuis followed him as he led him forward.
The garden was much larger than what he'd
expected. Yuis felt a brief sense of eeriness as he moved through the foliage.
He had had so many vague dreams just like this, where the moonlight glinted off
dew covered leaves, and the air smelled alive. This was no dream, but the
horrible realization of what Albert was doing in this tropical paradise made
Yuis wish it were.
Felipe ducked under an arch covered with
fragrant roses and entered a secluded alcove. He sat on the small, curved bench
that was nestled in the leaves and Yuis sat down next to him.
"What
happened?" he
asked without preamble.
Even though Yuis was scared, he felt
grateful to have someone to talk with. But first things first, he thought.
"Why
did you make that scene at dinner? You embarrassed me greatly and now my job is
at stake. How can you be such an ass?"
"Me
I
I mean," he
sputtered.
"What
is your problem? You accused Albert of trying to steal me from you when I
hardly know you! Since when have we become an item?"
"I'm
sorry. It wasn't like that,
I swear!" Felipe
said. As Yuis looked into his eyes, he was amazed to find that he wasn't
angry; he appeared to be concerned. "I
just
well I thought, you know
"
"Well
your so-called concern may cost me my job,"
Yuis growled.
Felipe looked abashed and his mouth
trembled as he looked down. Suddenly Yuis regretted his harsh words. Hispanics
were funny about family and their honor, and it could be that Felipe was
genuinely concerned. He must be terribly old-fashioned about it, and that was
something he just couldn't accept.
Yuis was astonished as he watched a glistening tear fall to Felipe's
hands, which were folded like a repentant boy. Felipe was so handsome and
innocent looking that Yuis lost the strength of his anger.
"I
can't
tell you how sorry I am for what I did,"
Felipe said. "I'm
an idiot and I hope you can forgive my rashness. I hope you can allow me to
make it up."
Yuis sighed.
"Yuis,
I had the sense that you had something else to tell me,"
he said looking at him with deep concern. "Please
trust me. Please," he
pleaded.
"You're
right, but I'm just not
sure. I don't know where
to start," Yuis
said. "I can't
believe I heard this, and I'm not sure
who I should tell. After I had dinner with Mr. Freunhoffer, I decided to go to
that salsa dance for a while. When I went back up to my room I heard him
talking on the phone and I think he was trying to purchase a Zemi illegally."
Felipe's
eyes widened.
"Albert
said he wanted to see the Zemi in its sacred location before he bought it. I
think he was talking to the person who had discovered the piece. They were
talking about seeing the Zemi in its original location--the
place of worship. I don't know how
else to interpret his words, but that he wanted to see some newly uncovered
Zemi. "Am I in
danger?"
"I'm
not sure. How close are you to Freunhoffer?"
Felipe asked.
Yuis stiffened. Was he accusing him again?
"Well,
he wanted me to work for him, and that's
all. I just want to go home now. I don't
want his job anymore. I'm afraid
now! I want to go home!"
Yuis looked away from him and listened to
the music of small coki' frogs
calling to their mates.
Suddenly, Felipe leaned in close and
kissed him lightly on the cheek. "You are
home, Yuis. I'll protect
you from that man. You have nothing to fear."
Yuis looked up at him and felt the
dizzying effect of his eyes.
Yuis put up no resistance as Felipe leaned
down and took his mouth in a gentle kiss. Yuis's
arms moved on their own and before he knew what was happening, he was clinging
to him, meeting Felipe's passion with
heat of his own.
This is no dream, he
thought as Felipe lifted him onto his lap. Yuis undid a few buttons of Felipe's
shirt and slipped his hand inside to feel the hard muscles of his chest. Alarms
of panic clanged in his distant subconscious mind, but his body wanted him now!
"All
I think about is you," Felipe
whispered.
His voice was familiar now. Yuis had heard
these passionate words before. But how, he barely knew this guy!
His thoughts were scattered by the rising
tide of anticipation that he awakened. Thoughts of tomorrow, and the civilized
world that awaited him gave way to animal need. The familiar manly scent of his
body made Yuis ache for what his kisses promised.
"Let
me pleasure you, again" he
whispered.
A frisson of fear made the hairs on the
back of his neck stand up. Again? Felipe's
hand moved slowly and undid the zipper of Yuis's
pants. He urged Yuis up slightly so that he could pull down his pants and
shorts. He stroked Yuis gently as he moaned. Yuis felt an erection that threatened
to burst at any moment. His body trembled in Felipe's
arms and he felt his control slipping as his expert fingers made the thrumming
between his legs intensify. Felipe covered Yuis's
mouth with his own to muffle the cries he was unaware he made.
"I
must have you, Yuis. I'll go mad if
you deny me," Felipe
said.
Yuis was still breathing hard. It took a
moment for his words to register, and by that time, he had swept him into his
arms and was carrying him through the garden. Yuis struggled and forced Felipe
to set him down. He was blushing furiously as he finally came out of Felipe's
spell, and he quickly zipped his pants.
"I
I'm
not like this," Yuis
cried. He was still out of breath. "Y
you got me wrong
I don't know why I
"
"I
love you, Yuis. I can't stand to
see your pink lips and not kiss them. Please let me fall into your love, Yuis.
I've
never felt this way before. Just come to my room; at least we can talk for a
moment!"
Yuis felt that he was in a spider's
web, but he allowed Felipe to lead him by the arm.
Yuis wondered what it would feel like to
have Felipe laying next to him, but he thought he already knew. In his mind's
eye, he saw his naked form. He was a vision of manly perfection. Yuis saw
Felipe touching him and imagined the heat of his kiss.
When the door opened, Yuis stepped into
the room, but his eyes settled on something that stopped him in his tracks.
"What's
this?" Yuis
asked.
On a table in the center of the room, Yuis
saw the statue he'd made.
Flowers were arranged around it, and he could see the remains of sticks of
incense. He shivered and looked at Felipe for explanation.
"Oh
no, I forgot about that. I'm sorry,
this must look weird."
"What
are you doing with my statue?"
Yuis wasn't
sure he wanted to hear the answer to his question. He'd
read about perverts who did this sort of thing, but Felipe didn't
seem to be that sort of person. Yet, Yuis couldn't
deny what he saw.
"Yuis,
I
it's
"
"Stop
calling me Yuis like that! Are you worshipping my statue?"
He backed out of the room. "In the
garden, why did you say you wanted to pleasure me again? What did you
mean? We've never
made love before! So how could you say that?"
"Yuis,
please, wait, you don't
understand!" Felipe
ran forward and grabbed his arm to keep him from leaving.
"Let
me go!"
"I
didn't
know what I was saying in the garden. All I know is that I love you."
Yuis froze. He could remember these words
and now he was afraid.
"What
about that statue? Why isn't it back in
New York?"
"My
uncle is the chief of the Taνno tribe. He told me to take this Zemi with me
because it will protect us from evil spirits."
Yuis tore himself away from Felipe. He
took another look at the Zemi and shook his head. "Albert
was right, you really are crazy!"
A man leaving his room stared at them and
when Felipe reached for Yuis again, he called out, "Do
you need me to call the police?"
Yuis turned and ran down the hall. As he
reached the elevator and pounded the button, he turned and saw Felipe slumped
against the door jam.
He was shaking with fear as he opened the
door to his room. His treacherous and perverted body still burned for Felipe's
touch and this made him even more afraid. He couldn't
believe he'd almost
done it with a man. What was he thinking? His hands shook as he fumbled with
the swipe card.
"Is
that you, Yuis?" Albert
called out. He sounded sleepy.
"Yes,
it's
me,"
he said. "Sorry
to have woken you." Yuis
hoped his voice wasn't shaking.
"It's
no trouble. Good night."
"Good
night, Mr. Freunhoffer." Yuis
got ready for bed, but as he slid under the sheets, all he could think of was
Felipe. His body remembered those roaming fingers stroking his cock. He
remembered the electric pleasure that had overwhelmed his senses.
Felipe wanted him.
As his spirit was taken up along on the
currents of dreams, his heart acknowledged what his head denied.
Chapter Fifteen
Yuis
tugged nervously at his ponytail when Felipe's
Landcruiser slowed at a sign decorated with a hummingbird.
"The
hummingbird is our totem, Yuis. It's called Guani
or Guanicariga in the Taνno language. It symbolized the seed-giver, or
in other words, the giver of life. For modern Taνnos, it represents the rebirth
of our nation."
Yuis nodded, but Felipe didn't
seem to notice that the knot in his throat stopped him from responding. The
sight of the bird filled Yuis with both dread and a strange recognition. He
could almost hear the sound of its thrumming wings.
After seeing Felipe's
weird behavior with his statue, he'd never
imagined that he'd ever agree
to see him again, much less take him up on his offer to see the Taνno village.
It was his night of dreaming that convinced him he'd
have to go. Something deep in him urged him to go! As soon as he'd
gotten up, he'd called
Felipe and asked if he still wanted to take him to see the Taνnos. Neither of
them mentioned the night before, but he seemed nervous and repentant. Yuis felt
embarrassed and foolish; after all, he was the one who had allowed Felipe to touch
him. Felipe was obviously gay, but what was his own excuse? It was as if his
body now had more say in what he did than his mind.
The idea that Albert might find out that
he was with Felipe worried him. Somehow, fear of Albert had overcome his
distress at how badly he'd been
treated. Now Yuis silently wondered. First he'd
accused him of wanting him to share his bed, and now he was accusing him of
theft! What if this was all wrong, just as he'd
been wrong about his intention to sleep with him? What if Albert was totally
innocent, and he was making another terrible mistake that would embarrass him
forever?
He shuddered and wished he hadn't
been so impulsive. Why had he trusted Felipe at all? The gay pervert had
tempted his body with his experienced touch! Felipe had stroked the heat of
lust in his body like a damned expert! Yuis wondered if Albert had been telling
the truth. Maybe Felipe had a new boy-toy every other day.
"When
we first met, you said you thought the Taνnos were extinct,"
Yuis heard him say. "Well
maybe there aren't many
full-blooded Taνnos, but we are Taνnos, nevertheless. One thing I saw at a
Chickasaw Powwow last year was that 90% of the Indians were mixed. Some even
had blonde hair and blue eyes, yet they were card-carrying Native Americans.
Just think of it--many of the
people of 't look like
Spaniards! Some people contend that our looks are from a mixing with Black
blood, and although there are people of Black descent, why don't
we look like the mixed Blacks of the mainland? Because we are Native Americans,"
he said, without allowing Yuis to answer.
"The
thing is that not only do we carry Taνno "
he went on as the car began to move again.
"Yeah,
you already told me that, like fifty times,"
he sighed in annoyance.
"Oh,
sorry."
Yuis saw small houses with lush gardens as
they approached the main tribal buildings. Then the world seemed to return to
the day before
"Yeah,
I know. It's quite a
shock to most. We've tried to
recreate the typical Taνno village. The round thatched huts are those of the
ordinary tribe members, but the rectangular ones are those of the shamans and
chieftain. Of course, there are no shamans left, and this is the one thing that
most grieves my uncle, the Cacique,"
he sighed.
"The
Cacique?" Yuis
repeated.
"Yes,
he's
the recognized chieftain," he
said as they approached and curious children surrounded their vehicle.
A lovely, tall young woman dressed in what
Yuis supposed was a native costume approached them. She flung her arms around
Felipe and cried out, "Taνno
ti!"
She kissed him and clung to him.
"Taνno
ti, Anacaona! Please meet Yuis Rosales."
Anacaona gave Yuis an enthusiastic hug and
held his shoulders affectionately, but she returned her gaze to Felipe. Yuis
couldn't help but
notice her beauty. She was tall, but graceful, and her face was perfection. Her
outfit left little to the imagination. Her full breasts were barely covered.
"Ana
"
he began to say as a deep blush spread on his cheeks.
"Come,
the Cacique has been waiting," she
said without looking in his direction.
Yuis felt his head spinning as the sights
and sounds of the village touched a place deep in his soul. He barely felt his
feet touch the earth as he was now led by Anacaona's
gentle hands. They approached the largest rectangular thatched hut and entered.
Native American style, there were skins on the bare ground and a fire burned in
the middle where there was a smoke hole in the ceiling of the place. An old man
sat on a pile of skins. He looked exactly like a Native American. His deeply
creased bronze skin shone with vitality, despite his age; and a headdress made
of colorful feathers of tropical birds, sat upon his head.
"Welcome,
Yuis," he stood
and bowed slightly. "I have
been awaiting your return."
"My
return?" he
managed to whisper.
"Yes.
I know that it may be difficult for your conscious mind to understand it all,
but you have been here many times. The dreams that you have
do you remember
any of them?"
"I
I don't know. What
dreams?" he
tried to lie.
"You
know what I speak of," he
said, looking into the fire. "There
are few in this world today who have been taken by the gods as you have. In the
times when we thrived, every once in a while, a very special person was taken
away from the village by the gods. In the visions of such people, they would
reveal deep meanings. Yuis--my nephew,
Felipe, who we call Mukaro, the owl messenger in Taνno, says you may know
something. He has told me of your special knowledge."
Yuis was puzzled not by what he said, but
angry that Felipe had put such ideas into his head. By the way they were
treating him; it seemed that he'd said many
things to them. Yet the old man was so sincere that he had to answer him. Yuis
assumed he was talking about Freunhoffer's
conversation--the one he'd
told Felipe about. It had only been a hunch; really, he hadn't
expected it to be blown out of proportion!
Yuis explained the conversation and the
chief's face
brightened. "Yuis!
You must help us! You must help me! I am old now and I have hoped that before
leaving this world and eating the fruit of the dead, that I could help my
people to regain the happiness of the gods, as it was in the days when we were
free to worship them. You must help us. Please see if you can get more
information from this man, Freunhoffer. See if you can find out more about who
is selling this rare thing. It is a Zemi, you see."
The sound of the word made Yuis shudder.
Even more eerie for him was the way he kept calling him 'Yuis'
with that strange easiness--as if he
really were a relative. Now Yuis understood that the Zemi was a sacred item,
and not just a statue, as he had thought before.
"Yuis,"
he continued. "Since
the times before the foreigners came here, we worshipped a god in the form of a
Zemi, which was hidden far in the rainforest mountain. Even then, only the
shamans and a few of the chieftains knew of its existence. After the gods
stopped visiting the shamans, its location was forgotten, but we still knew of
it. Recently I have been visited in my dreams with visions of this Zemi and
knowledge of its importance.
"I
have also come to know from human sources that a grave-robber known to pillage
our sacred Taνno sites, has discovered this Zemi. I believe that this may be
the rare antiquity that this Mr. Freunhoffer is trying to purchase. We have to
stop him. As far as I know, the Zemi is still in the mountains. Only the
grave-robber Cantinflas knows of its location, and I do not know why he has
failed to take it. Perhaps he wishes to entice a buyer, but I know that he has
photographed it. I know this by a vision I had. It was an angry warning from
the god," the
Chief said.
He radiated warmth and kindness, Yuis
thought. He wanted to say that he couldn't
help them, but something made him want to help this wonderfully sincere man. He
smiled at Yuis and ordered a man standing by the door to get them something to
drink. The man came back quickly with a small boy who helped him to carry
several green fruit the size of big footballs.
The chief and Felipe laughed at his
surprise. "These
are unripe coconuts still in their outer shells,"
Felipe said. "The
ones you see at stores are small brown things, but coconuts have really big
shells."
"I've
seen them actually," Yuis
said. "But do
you eat them unripe?"
The man carrying them pulled out a long
straw-like reed and poked it into the hole he'd
drilled into the top of one. "You
drink it. It's not as
sweet as the milk of the ripe fruit, but still very refreshing."
He handed it to Yuis.
Yuis was surprised to find that it was
true. An older woman sitting by the fire got up and said, "Maybe
you want to try this too."
She took several reddish fruit out of a
basket and putting them on a large stone indented from use, she used another
stone pestle to crack their hard shells. Yuis got up and looked at them. The
fruits appeared to be hollow, save for a few fibrous tendrils supporting the
large seeds.
"But
where's the fruit?"
he cried. "They're
empty!"
The woman smiled and poured clear water
out of a clay urn and into a bucket. She added the husks of the fruit and
stirred them around for a few minutes. She used a gourd to scoop out the
pinkish liquid, and offered some to Yuis.
Yuis's
eyes grew round at the taste. "It's
like the nectar of the gods!"
They all looked at him in surprise, and
the chief said, "Of
course, that's what we
call it."
Yuis took his clay cup and began to wander
away from Felipe, who was now talking animatedly with the Chief. Children and
old people stared at him in wonder, and Yuis felt embarrassed. He finally sat
on a stump and listened as two young women gossiped.
"Yes,
that Felipe! He's a hunk!"
one of them said in very American sounding English.
"Wow,
I hear he's into
bodybuilding too," the
other said.
"Too
bad he's already
taken," one of
them sighed.
"Yeah,
too bad. I'd do
anything to get him, but from what the Chief says, he's
to be married to a shaman he loves."
Yuis got up abruptly. The memory of his
probing hands made him feel dirty now. What a jerk! He'd
been engaged all along and he still wanted to fool around. That was unfair to
the girl too. She'd be stuck
with a gay guy and not even know it! How could Felipe sink so low as to betray
his lover, whoever that unfortunate girl was, even before he was married? Yuis
burned with anger as he made his way to his car and honked the horn.
Felipe and the Chief immediately came out
of the rectangular hut and approached him. Yuis saw the kind and trusting look
in the Chief's eyes and
held his tongue.
"Let
me show you around the village," Felipe
pleaded.
Yuis warned him, "Felipe,
I better get back, or Mr. Freunhoffer might get suspicious."
"You're
right," he
said as they headed for the Land Rover. "What
did you think?" he
asked.
"I
don't
know what to think," Yuis
answered. "Your
uncle is a very nice man. That's the only
reason I agreed to help, you know."
"I
was hoping you'd think I'm
nice too," Felipe
said, with a wicked grin. They were past the houses in the village and entering
a deserted road. His hand snaked over to Yuis's
lap and he pushed it away angrily. He giggled, not knowing how furious Yuis
was.
"I'm
sorry. I just thought we could make up, after
you know
I mean, we almost
"
he sputtered.
"We
almost what? You pervert! I was just drunk, and you took advantage of me,"
Yuis lied. "What
have you been telling your uncle, the Chief about me, and why?"
"I
well, I haven't told him
much, not exactly. I mean I did mention you but
"
"Well
I don't mind
telling you that you are a sick man to put such ideas into his head. You made
him believe that I have some kind of spiritual connection with this whole
thing," Yuis
said angrily. "Didn't
you ever consider his feelings in all of this? He's
obviously a very spiritual person and he trusts you. How dare you toy with his
feelings like that? How dare you involve me?
"Now
I'm
supposed to find the whereabouts of some rare Zemi that probably never existed except
in stories. I'm going to
look like a real fool and probably lose my job with Mr. Freunhoffer as well,
just because you want to play games with a sincere, innocent old man who wants
so badly to have his dream fulfilled. I wish I would have had the sense to
simply approach Mr. Freunhoffer and ask him about what I'd
overheard, or better yet, if I'd just not
become involved!"
"But
but I didn't
"
he tried to cut in.
"Screw
you, Cacique! You are an inconsiderate fraud who doesn't
think twice of deceiving his poor old uncle just for some attention. I don't
know what you've told that
old chief, but there is very little I can do for him. I agreed to see if I can
get any information from Mr. Freunhoffer, and I will do that--but
not for you! I'll do it
because I respect your uncle; who is so different from you! I want you to let
me off at my hotel and I'll contact
you. Otherwise, please leave me alone. I'd
rather spend my time learning more about Puerto Rican art with Mr. Freunhoffer,
than wasting time helping you impress your uncle with wild tales!"
"That's
just not true, Yuis!"
"Stop
it! Don't touch me,
you freak! And by the way, during the flight to 've found the
perfect way to get back at him. I ought to let him know what you're
up too, but again, for your uncle's sake, I'll
go along with his plan. But mind you, Felipe, I won't
get involved in helping you ruin Mr. Freunhoffer's
reputation. In fact, I'll bet you
that instead, I'll end up
proving that he is perfectly legitimate, whereas I doubt we can say the same
for you!"
"Yuis
please listen!"
"And
by the way, I'm sure your
fiancιe would be appalled if she knew what
what you
just leave me alone!"
Chapter Sixteen
As soon
as they arrived at the hotel, Yuis got out without saying a word and slammed
the Land Rover's door shut.
He heard Felipe gun the engine, but Yuis wasn't
going to give him the satisfaction of seeing him turn back.
He remembered how the tribe's
people had looked at him with something close to reverence. And the way that
the poor chief hung on his every word! Felipe had fed them a load of crap. He
must have been trying to impress them somehow and for some reason. Maybe it was
just part of his plan to get revenge on Mr. Freunhoffer.
At first Yuis hadn't
believed Albert's stories.
He'd
told him that Felipe often illegally bought and sold antiquities, especially
Taνno ones. This now made his blood boil. Imagine making a living selling
the things your tribe values so much!
Albert told him that he thought that
Felipe had followed them to 'd
misinterpreted the things Albert had been saying to his contact on the phone!
Maybe the one he had to avoid was Felipe!
His thoughts were broken when he was
approached by a bellboy. He gave him a note from Albert. He said that he'd
meet Yuis for a late lunch and then he planned to take him out to see some
large statues at a national forest. This seemed exciting and Yuis hoped he hadn't
missed him.
Yuis knocked at his door, but nobody
answered. He decided to shower and get ready for when Freunhoffer returned. He'd
almost dozed off when he heard Albert's
door open and the sound of the phone ringing. Remembering the kindly Cacique's
request, he put his ear to the door. It felt so silly and dishonest to listen in
like that, but he reasoned that if it were a normal conversation, he'd
stop his eavesdropping immediately.
"Pictures
aren't
enough, I say," Albert
Freunhoffer said roughly. "Take me
to see it. I want to see it in situ! That way I can judge its value for myself."
There was a pause as he listened and
grunted.
"I
tell you, there are fakes out there. I even have a boy with me who can produce
fabulous fakes. I've seen his
drawings only, but I'll wager
that he can produce them in clay. You won't
get a buyer like that--at least
not at the price you ask!" he
growled.
After a while he said, "Listen,
how many people know of the location?"
Again there was silence and Albert grunted
again. "Good.
So just the two of you. I agree to the price, but it will be contingent upon my
seeing the piece in person. Zemis of this sort are rare, and I won't
allow this one to get away from me, but do consider my proposal. At least let
me know of the general location of the find and I also want extensive
photographing of the site--that at
least you must agree to. I want to see how the Zemi was placed for worship, for
we can safely assume that it was placed there for worship and not simply lost.
I want to know how it was situated, for my own curiosity, if it is situated by
trees, or large stones, for example. For Christ's
sake, you know how I am about these things! It's
not just the money, or the Zemi! I want to know the history of it! I want to
get the feel of it!"
After another pause, he whistled and said,
"That
close to a shear cliff? That is fascinating! Well, we'll
talk again tonight. I should be there by "
Yuis heard the receiver slam down and
Albert muttered a curse. He remained glued to the door for a moment until he
realized that he might see the shadow of his feet near the door. Yuis slunk
into the bathroom, his breath catching in fear.
* * * *
After about an hour, Yuis knocked on Albert's
door and he ushered him in. His knees knocked, but Yuis tried to keep a cool
head.
"Yuis!
How good to see you. I didn't know you
were back."
"I
just got back a half hour ago," he
lied.
He nodded in satisfaction and began to
pour them drinks.
"Just
some Coke for me please," Yuis
said. "The
heat here makes alcohol go to my head."
"So
what fine sights did you enjoy today, Yuis,"
he asked, although the rum still went into his glass.
"I
wandered some, and did some window shopping. I want to get gifts for my
parents, but I couldn't decide on
what to get."
"Well
what sections of town did you visit? There are some better places to get
souvenirs, you know."
"I
well, actually I just wandered around. I didn't
really know where to go," he
said, realizing that he'd stuck his
neck out by lying.
"Anyway,
if you're still up
for it, how about lunch and some more sightseeing?"
he asked.
"Sure,"
he said. "I'm
certain I'd see more
interesting things with you as a guide,"
he smiled.
"Well,
I'm
set,"
he said looking Yuis over. "I think
you'll
be fine in those clothes because we might have to do a bit of hiking. We'll
eat out at one of the more casual establishments."
Yuis was embarrassed by his clear
implication that he wasn't dressed
for dinner at the hotel. "I can
change if you prefer to dine here," he
said.
"No
need. As a matter of fact, I may be the one who needs to change. I have a
friend who can show us many of the Taνno pieces in various public places and of
course in the museums. There are also a few private collectors who have pieces
worth seeing." One in
particular will be of great interest, if we have time, that is.
They left the hotel and went to a small
restaurant that served delightful Puerto Rican cuisine. Yuis felt less
threatened by Albert as he spoke casually and explained much of the background
of Taνno history. He called his chauffeur when they were done and they stopped
by two museums before they set out to visit the friend he'd
mentioned. It was quite late now and Yuis wondered what they could do this
late.
"Don't
you think we should do this tomorrow?"
Yuis said, after they'd been
traveling for over an hour. "I think
most museums and parks would be closed after dark."
"Right
you are," he
said. "But
this man has a good private collection himself, and he has invited us for
supper as well. You would do well to meet with such an important man."
Yuis shrugged and they traveled on in
silence for some time before the driver pulled up to a large wrought iron
fence. A man dressed in white came and pulled it open and the car eased into
the driveway and up to the magnificent house. When they entered, Yuis was
dazzled. A huge staircase led up to the next level.
A butler led them to an ornate room where
a handsome, well-dressed man got up to greet them. He didn't
look at Yuis, nor did Albert introduce him. They spoke to each other in German;
he could guess that much, but not what they were saying.
Servants moved discreetly, setting drinks
and appetizers on the small tables near them and their host bade them to help
themselves. Yuis could tell that Albert was angry with the man, but the other
seemed not to mind. Yuis looked around him and saw that the walls were lined
with oil paintings depicting naked Indians slaying or torturing other Indians.
His face must have registered shock and distaste.
"My
dear young man," the
man said in perfect English. "I am so
sorry that Albert and I have been so rude as to conduct our business at your
expense. These paintings that seem to shock you were commissioned by my
great-grandfather. They depict the history of the Carib and Taνno Indians, or
Natives, if you will. As you can see, there was a lot of savagery at the time
before the White man came to these islands. On the other hand, the White man
also brought disease, famine, and other ills to these fair lands.
"The
truth is, in my opinion, that humankind itself is evil. The Indians practiced
horrible things like tortures we've never
dreamed of, as well as cannibalism. Why I have read accounts where they
actually killed, cooked, and consumed Taνno infants and children before the
very eyes of their mothers. Of course, the White man was more cultured, but
that didn't stop them
from killing and abusing natives.
"Yes,
the Caribs had many such habits," he
concluded.
Yuis noticed that his skin was smooth and
bronzed except for some scarring that peeked out from his collar. He must
have been burned or injured. But it did nothing to detract from his
good-looking appearance. He smiled at Yuis and extended his hand.
"My
name is Sixto Cantinflas; and I am delighted to meet you."
* * * *
"I
understand that you are interested in the Taνno Indians. Are you Taνno? You
have the features of one, if I may say,"
Mr. Cantinflas said.
"Not
that I know of, although I have heard of a study that proved that over sixty
percent of all Puerto Ricans carry Taνno "
Yuis said, remembering Felipe's oft
repeated statistics.
"True
indeed, but many of us have Carib "
he said. "You
look like a Taνno. Your features are very much Taνno. Did you know that the
Carib men preferred Taνno women?" he
asked smiling at him.
Yuis looked away. "The
benefits of being a guy," he
muttered.
"Here
in this room are my paintings, but I have several rooms devoted to Carib and
Taνno antiquities," he
said as he began to move out of the room. "Come,"
he said. "Look at
this display of sacrificial knives."
He smiled and gestured with his chin. "Mr.
Freunhoffer would love to get his hands on these, but they're
not for sale!"
Albert frowned deeply and turned to look
at another case where pottery with monstrous designs was displayed. Some were
only shards, but they were all of approximately the same style.
"Mr.
Cantinflas, how do you obtain such rare pieces?"
His eyes scanned the room as if to answer
Yuis by stating the obvious. "Money
can buy anything."
"But
don't
these belong in a museum, where they can be seen by everyone, including
scholars?" His
forehead creased in a frown.
"I
don't
believe that. Are you a Communist, young man?"
he asked, but his face broke out in a disarming smile.
"I
mean, seriously. These things are really better than anything I've
seen in a museum!" he
exclaimed.
"Well
you are always welcome to come and visit. It will be your private museum,"
he said affectionately.
A man dressed in a traditional butler's
uniform led them to the dining room. The elegance of the room and its
accoutrements was stunning. They sat at the huge table and the meal began. Yuis
fought to control his fear. The Chief, Felipe's
uncle had given Cantinflas as the name of the man who was a grave robber, but
this genteel man didn't look like
a grave robber. On the other hand, he sure had a lot of antiquities in his
home. If it was the same man, he had to find out more.
"Mr.
Cantinflas, do you and Mr. Freunhoffer do business often?"
Yuis asked, and then realized that it sounded strange.
"Not
often," Albert
answered for him. "We are
friends for the most part, but we do business on occasion."
Yuis thought he saw Mr. Cantinflas frown
slightly.
"Well
I only asked because you seem to have access to such fine pieces. How do you
actually go about finding such art? Are there auctions?"
Mr. Cantinflas smiled at him. "Such
things don't sell at
auctions. The government has strict control over these matters. My collection
is very old; it was in place before the laws, so therefore it is immune to the
laws. My great-great-grandfather was a Spaniard who arrived here not long after
the first settlers. He collected these items from the very Indians themselves.
He had a great interest in the native peoples and he wrote many marvelous
accounts that have never been released to scholars. They were very personal,
you see.
"He
and later, his descendants, shared this interest in natives. They collected a
treasure-trove of artifacts and knowledge. I have books describing Carib and
Taνno rituals and spells. I even have the full set of implements they used for
sacrifice. There is so much knowledge contained within these walls. I have
simply continued in their footsteps."
"That
is amazing," Yuis
said. "I'd
love to see it all!"
"In
time, my friend," he
answered.
"Are
any items still found? I mean, have all the artifacts been discovered, or do
researchers still dig for things?" Yuis
hoped to get him to talk about the piece Albert was interested in. "Can
I help dig?"
"Well
it would be foolish to ever assume that all is found. Our island is very moist
and tropical though; so few things remain in the earth. It is not like "
Yuis saw the look Albert gave him when he
said that. It was a look of warning as well as anger. Mr. Cantinflas merely
smiled and ordered that the next course be brought out. A timid woman served
the food, and when she accidentally brushed Mr. Cantinflas'
hand, she gasped in fear. He glared at her and she scuttled away. A man
completed the serving.
* * * *
After
the meal, Mr. Freunhoffer asked to speak with Mr. Cantinflas alone. Yuis was
left in a room filled with displays of baskets and pottery. He noticed that the
rooms were climate controlled. Most of the baskets showed signs of great age,
but still, Yuis grew tired of looking at them after a while. He opened the great
oak door of the room he'd been left
in and stretched nonchalantly as if bored, and then peeked into the next room.
This room appeared to house books, both
antique and new. He went straight to the display cases. In one, an ancient
looking book was propped open. The ornate script made the Spanish hard to read,
but what he did understand made his breath catch. It appeared to be a book
describing a form of human sacrifice.
He quickly scanned the other books. Most
were stored in locked glass cases, but they were accompanied by photographs of
some of the pages. Several drawings of great detail appeared in the
photographs. They mostly dwelt on the subject of the Carib Indian rituals, most
of which centered on human torture and sacrifice. Yuis's
teeth chattered as he read the caption under a drawing of a half consumed man.
He let out a strangled cry as a hand grabbed him by the upper arm.
"So
sorry to startle you Yuis,"
Freunhoffer said. "Sixto
might take it wrong if you take advantage of his generosity by wandering about.
He is really fussy about his collections."
"Sorry.
I got bored and thought I'd find
something to read in this library," Yuis
said timidly. He was furious, but it seemed better not to show it.
"Well,
I think we better be on our way; it's
quite late," he
said, leading him by the arm.
Mr. Sixto Cantinflas was in the large
living room and he stood when they entered. "You
must come again, Yuis. I hope you had a good evening, and feel free to call me
if you ever want to return to see more of my displays."
"Thank
you, Mr. Cantinflas," he
said as he took his outstretched hand. More scarred skin showed at his wrist as
he extended his hand, and Yuis felt a pang of sorrow for the man. The perfect
skin of his handsome face made it impossible to tell his age, but his body must
have been scarred terribly in some accident. Perhaps that was why, he reckoned,
that he seemed to live alone in his huge house with only servants to keep him
company.
It seemed farfetched that such a refined
gentleman could be the so-called grave robber that the Taνno chief suspected
was behind the impending theft of the sacred Zemi. Perhaps there was no actual
Zemi, and it was all a tale. Yuis didn't
know, but Albert had been discussing something that sounded like an illegal
artifact when he'd been on
the phone. Yuis had to admit that there was no way to tell if he'd
been talking to Sixto Cantinflas. He hadn't
really learned much, but whatever little he knew, he'd
convey it to Felipe.
As they were leaving, a servant approached
Yuis and handed him a little sack. Yuis stuck it in his pocket, thinking it
might be some kind of gift. When they were on the way back to the hotel, Albert
said very little. He seemed angry. As they drove closer to the city, Yuis
ventured another few questions.
"Mr.
Freunhoffer
I mean, Albert, you seemed to have a lot of business to discuss
with Mr. Cantinflas."
"Not
really," he
said. "I
wanted to borrow some of his pieces for a few months just to generate more
traffic in my gallery, but he's hard to
deal with. He says that most of the artifacts have never left his home and that's
the way he wants to keep it. Do you know that that house has been standing
longer than any other here? Somehow it's
never been harmed by hurricanes and the like. Some of the superstitious
ignorant people say it's because
Sixto has a way of appeasing the gods that cause destruction and mayhem. I
suppose there will always be that sort of superstition as long as education
lags behind in the smaller towns and villages. You know how widespread the
belief in the so-called Chupacabra is. Such a silly notion."
He shook his head.
"Maybe
they fear the relics he has," Yuis
added. "They
are awfully frightening. I did see some of the wonderful original manuscripts
he has on ritual. I bet any anthropologist would give their right hand for
those, but they must frighten simple folk. I noticed how the servants seemed to
avoid him."
"True,"
he answered. "But
there is more. Maybe one day he'll explain
it to you if you ask, but in short, he has a very strange genealogy."
Yuis was disappointed that he said no more
on the subject because they had arrived and the chauffeur opened the door. As
they boarded the elevator, Yuis caught sight of Felipe. He was in the foyer
pretending to read a newspaper.
As soon as he got to his room, Yuis took
the little sack out of his pocket and shook out the contents. A note card fell
out. In a script that looked like something his great-great-grandfather would
have used, Sixto Cantinflas had written him a note. Yuis could tell that it had
been written with a quill. It said:
My dear Yuis,
I apologize again for my
rudeness today. I had much to discuss with my old friend Albert, but that was
no excuse for ignoring a guest. Please let me make up for it by having you over
again tomorrow. I realize that you are very interested in Native artifacts, and
I have much for you to examine. Please call the number below and let me know if
you will be so kind as to oblige my request. Albert need not know, because he
will insist on accompanying you. I'm afraid he
and I will fall into one of our endless arguments again.
I am your servant,
Sixto Cantinflas
Yuis's
hands shook as he set down the note. For a moment, he wondered if it would be
safe to do such a thing, but thoughts of reading the old journals and seeing
new artifacts made him breathless with excitement.
There was no doubt that Mr. Cantinflas was
a strange and maybe dangerous character, but he had an awesome collection! Yuis
couldn't see how it
could hurt to visit him. It was about time that he started to act independently
and enjoy his trip to Puerto Rico.
Chapter Seventeen
The next
morning Yuis got up early and called Mr. Cantinflas, who said he'd
send a car for him. He asked him to send it to a local cafι he'd
spotted the day before. It would be better, Yuis reasoned, not to have to deal
with Albert's questions.
Anyway, he needed coffee right now! That night had yielded many ugly dreams.
Never had his dreams been so jumbled, and yet vivid. He remembered dreaming of
the leering faces of monsters as they went about slashing and killing. No
doubt, the horrible paintings at Mr. Cantinflas'
house had been their inspiration. Yuis wondered how anyone could be so
fascinated with something so utterly gross!
He had his coffee and was picking at a
pastry when the car arrived. He was surprised to see that Mr. Cantinflas had
come himself to get him.
"Yuis!
I have few visitors and I am most pleased that you have agreed to pay me such
an honor."
"I
was very intrigued by your collection, Mr. Cantinflas,"
he managed to say.
"I
noticed," he
said as he led him to his car. "Please
call me Sixto. Albert tells me you are a student of native art. You will find
that my collection rivals that of any museum. In fact, I have things many of
them can't hope to
have. As I explained yesterday, my family has been collecting these things
since the days of the first settlers here from Europe."
"That
really is wonderful. I can't imagine
knowing so much about one's genealogy,"
Yuis said. "I know
almost nothing about the Puerto Rican half of my family. It seems that they
weren't much for
keeping records, unlike Europeans. My dad has so many stories about his family,
right back to the middle ages
"Most
fascinating," he
said as they drove away. "Please
tell me them."
"Well,
there are so many, but as a kid, the stories he told about the women in his
family interested me the most, especially when we would get together at
Halloween. We always had such a big celebration, and when it was dark, we'd
sit around holding our cups of cider and he'd
tell the most fantastic stories. I guess I always thought he'd
made them up until I was older and asked seriously,"
Yuis said.
"Halloween?
Why then?"
"Okay,
the thing is, he claimed that many of the women in his line were accused of
witchcraft. According to records he discovered, one was even burned at the
stake with a young daughter; but another daughter escaped and carried on the
line." Yuis
laughed. "You can
see why he told these stories for Halloween and why I never really believed
them."
"What
an unfortunate thing," he
said as if he didn't question
the veracity of the stories. "Europeans
were very confused by what Native Americans would consider shamanism, not
witchcraft. Of course, there were people who used their occult powers to do
harm, and in that way, they would be evil, like witches were supposed to be. To
consider all people with spiritual or mental powers to be evil was something
the Catholic Church started. After all, people with shamanic powers; healers,
witches, and others were revered in society. That took some of the power away
from the church, and thus, their wealth was diminished.
"I
have never been able to take the religion seriously after what happened to the
natives of this land in the name of the Church. And that leads me to the
question of why many Puerto Ricans of native descent ignore their genealogy.
The Church considered all Native religions to be the work of the Devil. Now
when I say religions, you do understand that they were not so in the sense that
many Western religions are. They are forms of belief."
"You
know a lot about this, Sixto," Yuis
said in amazement. "So that
must account for why so many Native languages and beliefs are almost extinct."
"Indeed.
Not only were the so-called savages sent away from their families to be
indoctrinated, but also the children were separated from their parents and sent
to orphanages so that they would be more apt to integrate into society. You say
you know almost nothing of your heritage, but if you were to delve into it,
perhaps you might be surprised. Some of the older people still remember things,
but mind you, sometimes it is in a negative way. That's
why they often refuse to discuss these things with their families."
"But
tell me, Yuis, about your European family tree,"
he asked. "I can
tell you that the part of my family that came from Spain was also involved in
witchcraft. It isn't so rare. I
can show you some accounts."
Yuis was hooked by his talks. "Well,
I guess I wish I was more interested at the time. It only seemed like a joke to
me, but it is interesting to see what went into what we are now. I just
remember bits and pieces. Like that the girls in his family who were born with
a special mark on their backs were supposed to be witches. There were some boys
too, who carried the mark. That's sad to
think that a genetic trait could doom a poor child. I'm
glad I wasn't born back
then, because you know what is really weird? When I was born, my Puerto Rican
grandmother was there and she examined me on the spot and said I was a witch.
"My
dad cracked up, because he'd also seen
the mark on my back and it was the one that ran in his family. When he asked
her how she knew, she wouldn't say. I'd
really like to ask her now that I'm grown,"
Yuis said.
"Maybe
it was so in her family too," he
suggested.
"But
she's
Puerto Rican and my father's family is
Scottish!" Yuis
said.
"Yes,
but if you've studied
folklore and myth, you can see that many, many ideas are common in all parts of
the world, even before people spread their ideas; that is, when these people
were isolated from one another. It is amazing, yes."
They had reached the gates to the estate
and a man opened them to allow their vehicle to enter. Yuis now felt totally at
ease with Sixto. He was learned and curious too. They entered the vast house
and he led him at once to his library.
"Here.
I will show you a journal that belonged to the grandmother of my great-great-grandfather.
It is in this climate controlled display case. There was some damage to it
before such things existed, but many parts are still legible,"
he said as he unlocked the case.
He put on soft white gloves and handed
Yuis a pair as well. He lifted the leather bound book up carefully and handed
it to Yuis when he had his gloves on. He opened it up for him and he held it
reverently. It was written in a faint, ornate script, and Yuis found that he
couldn't read it.
"I
wish I could make out the words," he
sighed.
"It
has been copied by many of my ancestors, so I have record of the parts that
were destroyed by age. Each person interpreted it somewhat differently. I also
tried the parts I could read. It took three years of research for me to produce
a version in modern English."
"English?
You translated it?" Yuis
asked.
"Yes,
I felt more comfortable doing that. You see, I was educated on the mainland and
my professors were all English speakers except for a few Germans. That explains
why I can speak German with ease. Albert and I use German because it is his
native language."
"Can
you read some of it to me?" Yuis
asked eagerly.
"Most
of it has to do with everyday life, which is fascinating, and some of it is
ledgers. This woman, my foremother, so to speak, was a practicing witch and she
kept records of her customers and the like. For example she writes, 'Today
I have cured the baby of such and such of colic and received a measure of
onions for my services.'
"Some
of it was terrible. The days leading to her death were the most awful things I've
ever read. When this happened her daughter was only sixteen years old, but she
had a son, who became my great-great-grandfather. The daughter took her son,
who was illegitimate, and fled to the so-called New World. She had considerable
wealth of her own, although many said she got it from the devil.
"When
she settled in Puerto Rico, she became known as a witch. When she died, her
son, who had been reviled and shunned by the others of his race because of
being both the son of a witch and a bastard, built a house on this spot and
lived in solitude. My family is feared even now, Yuis. Imagine being called 'the
son of the Devil,' and such
things. I believe this warped the boy's
mind. He gave into the idea that he actually was evil, and so he wrought evil,"
Sixto said.
"But
let me read you the last few pages of that poor woman's
journal. I wonder if you might not become more interested in your own history
when you hear how women labeled as 'witches'
suffered."
He took a deep breath and began to read as
if from memory.
"Yesterday
the cow belonging to that man Palacios gave birth to twins. They both died and
now it seems that the cow will also die. The female of the two was born with
hooves not cloven, like those of a horse. They were too soft and she could not
stand. The male was a breech birth and died immediately. I had given this man a
draught for the cow meant to hasten the birth, which had passed more time than
is ordinary. Now he is blaming me for this bad birth. He says that my herbs
caused the damage. How ignorant!"
He looked up at Yuis. "This
was the beginning of the end. It often happened that villagers went to a witch
for help, but if that help failed, then they could turn on her and claim her
possessions for themselves. The next few entries are similar. Then came this
one.
"Today
I was accused of being a witch. Why accuse me of this now? I have been la
Bruja of this village since I learned the art from my mother. This
Palacios man has always coveted my goods. I think he plans great harm to me and
my children. Rosabella is only sixteen years old and her baby son is a source
of complaints from the ignorant villagers. They say he is the son of the
Devil, just because she won't reveal the
father's name. What
will become of her and la nena? My two daughters need me! My poor baby
daughter is just a little older than my grandson, Rosabella's
baby. They say she has the mark of the witch too. I fear for their lives."
He paused and took a breath. "There
wasn't
that much more written by her except that she planned to send off her two
daughters and grandson. She planned to send them off to the New World. Of
course she didn't tell the
older child until the last moment that she planned to stay back and face the
charges. If she'd tried to
follow them, surely they would have tracked them down; so she was sacrificing
her life for them.
"But
her plan went awry. The family who promised to take the children ended up
taking on another of their family members. That meant that there was one less
spot for the poor woman's children.
She had an awful decision to make. It was agreed that the older daughter had to
go in order to safeguard whichever baby would be spared, and she insisted on
saving her own child, the witch's grandson.
Thus it was decided, and the journal went with the older daughter. It was only
after they arrived at the new colony of Puerto Rico that Rosabella made an
anguished entry in her mother's journal. I
will read that now," he
said.
"My
soul is stained with the death of my baby sister. I have had word today of
their fate. I had kept up hope that nothing would happen--that
perhaps wise men would come and see the falseness of Palacios'
claim, but I was wrong. A man from a village near ours arrived yesterday. He
seemed too happy to tell me everything in detail and he is no doubt spreading
the story around here now. He said that his entire village went to see the
witch burn. She was led into the center of town holding the baby--my
sister. He said that the baby clung to her screaming with fear and that she
tried to comfort it. He told me that they started a smoldering fire under them
and detailed how they clung to each other screaming as the flames overtook
them.
"My
mother, he said, choked the baby to death before the flames reached them. She
did this to save the baby from the slow death by burning, but as for my mother,
she suffered as the flames took her slowly. Later he said, the town people were
very sure of their decision to burn the two witches, for that evil man
Palacios, came to great suffering.
"First
he claimed the blackened tree under which they had burned my dear ones. He said
he needed the wood, since she had left very little for him to claim. He was
granted the tree, but when he tried to chop it down, it bled red blood. Later,
his young son, his dearest child, died of cholera. He lived to suffer that
death, and then that of his young second wife. Two weeks after that he was
found dead. He'd choked to
death on a great hunk of meat. I am glad he suffered!
"Now
every time I look at my son, I think of how he would have been spared; after
all, he is male and has no mark on him. Out of my own sentiment for him, I
refused to save my baby sister and now she is dead. I hope I will not come to
hate him!"
* * * *
Sixto
sighed and straightened. "That is
just some of it. You see, she did come to hate the child, and thanks to the
stories passed around that island, people came to regard him as the son of the
Devil and the child of a long line of witches. Rosabella was never formally
charged because she became a mistress to a high official. She was an
exceptional beauty, but the boy never lived a normal life.
"After
Rosabella died, he returned for some time to Spain and made a fortune, not that
they weren't well off
before this. He built this house and became obsessed with Natives and their
customs. Now remember that this was quite early and Natives still practiced
their customs in the more distant areas, as this was in those days.
"Being
denied the company of his rightful society, he took to spending most of his
time with them. Among them he was considered a shaman and a witch. He reveled
in their respect, something he'd been
craving his entire life. Among them, he became a highly respected figure, while
his own countrymen reviled him. Perhaps that's
why he became what he became," Sixto
Cantinflas said.
"What
did he become?" Yuis
asked. "I can't
imagine how he survived the guilt and alienation!"
"Well,
Yuis, we shall continue this tale later. It is a very emotional topic for me
and I can't bear to
spend much time discussing it. But tell me, have you visited with your family
yet?"
Yuis was thrown off. "I
well, I really don't know them
well. I don't think I've
met my grandmother more than twice. My dad, he just, well you know, he hates
being around them."
"That's
wrong! I urge you to look them up and speak with them. Ask them to tell you the
old stories. Do you know Spanish?"
"I
understand it, but I don't speak it
very well," he
said. "It's
embarrassing, but true. My mom speaks Spanish with me, but I answer in English!"
"Never
mind; you should find out your relatives and ask them to tell you the family
history. If you want, I can help you with transportation,"
he offered.
"I'll
do it," Yuis
promised.
"Let's
take a look at some of my finer exhibits,"
Mr. Cantinflas said.
They moved into a room that he hadn't
seen on his previous visit. It was filled with Zemis made of stone. As Yuis
passed them, he felt as if he were about to faint. "Please,
Mr. Cantinflas, can I see your garden?"
"As
you wish," he
said with concern creasing his face. Yuis again noticed the horrid scars
peeking out of his shirt. "These
gardens have always been my pride," he
said. "There
is a huge section with herbs of all sorts. They have been grown here since the
time of my great-great-grandfather. Many are rare medicinal herbs whose uses
have been forgotten. I, however, have records complete with hand painted
illustrations. I must say, I am quite the witch myself,"
he laughed.
"That
is cool," Yuis
said pointing to an elaborate design made up of patches of herbs. "It
reminds me of the Cloisters in "
Cantinflas smiled. "There
are many wonders here for a person like you, who enjoys this sort of thing."
Yuis surprised himself by saying, "Mr.
Cantinflas, I think you have a point. I want to go back to the hotel now and
look up my relatives. I hope you don't
think I'm rude. I'm
so thankful to you for bringing me all the way out here, but you inspired me to
look into my past."
"As
you wish, but why not use my phone here? I can go with you and even help to
translate your questions," he
said.
"Really?
You've
been so kind, but I'd feel awful
putting you out like that!" he
exclaimed.
"Not
a bother at all, my dear boy. Do you know where they live?"
"I've
got them in my address book," Yuis
said, opening it and showing Mr. Cantinflas.
"They
live closer to me than you thought!"
he said. "It's
better that you didn't return to
the hotel."
He excused himself and went inside.
* * * *
Cantinflas
hurried to the next room and picked up the phone. "Albert,
yeah, he came alright. It's going
great. I'll call you
later."
Chapter Eighteen
It was a
short trip through the countryside and they were at Yuis's
grandmother's house.
Yuis was thankful to have Mr. Cantinflas with him as they walked through a
rickety gate and past chickens pecking at the ground or running out of their
way. The house was more like a shanty than a house. It had been a long time
since it had been painted, and the yard was untidy.
As they passed a large flowering bush, a
small rangy dog charged at them, making Yuis jump. Mr. Cantinflas spoke
soothingly to it, but it continued to nip at their heels. A slight woman rose
from an old chair and peered at them. Mr. Cantinflas spoke in rapid Spanish,
introducing himself and Yuis.
The woman stared and approached Yuis. "It
will not be a proper thing for you to befriend
such a man."
"Hello,
I'm
Yuis; do you recognize me?"
"I
knew this man's father,"
she cackled. "Do you
know he tried to court me, but I never gave in to his handsome charms?"
Yuis was embarrassed, obviously believing
the old woman to be doddering. She smiled and said to him, "You
are very handsome."
His grandmother laughed and invited them
to take seats on the porch. Yuis sat on an old overturned bucket and Mr.
Cantinflas sat on a rickety stool. His grandmother opened a large burlap sack
and began to shell beans. Yuis sat on the floor and joined her in her work. The
old woman smiled at him.
"So
you are Yuis. You look just like your great-grand aunt Mira, who was known as a
witch. She had eyes as blue as the ocean. She said they were like that because
she'd
been born near the ocean, where her people lived. I remember visiting her when
I was a little girl. Oh, the stories she would tell! She knew all about the
Indians and their tales. She even knew of the little people who lived in the
mountains. She said they were spirits of people long dead,"
the old woman explained.
Yuis sat breathless. Even though he
thought his grandmother was telling tales, he was fascinated and just wanted to
listen.
"I
remember when you were born. I told your mother not to marry that man, your
father. I told her that the blood would be too strong between the two of them.
We are a family of Indians--the witches
of the Indians and the Spaniards both. Your father is witless, but he says he
carries the blood of strong witches of the countries of the north. His witches
were cold blooded and ours hot blooded. I warned them that it would result in a
witch with too much power to hide it. They never listened. Your father never
even wanted me to go to your house.
"I
see now you have come to me. The blood tells. Nothing can stop that. And just
see! You have come here, and what do you do? You find a man like this--a
Brujo, a witch man. He is too powerful. His lines run in the men and women
both. Beware, my grandson!" She shook
a finger at Yuis.
Yuis got up and tried to hug the old
woman, but she rose and dragged Yuis inside the house. She closed the door and
reached up to Yuis's face and
held it close to hers.
"Get
away from that man. His family has been enemies with ours for as long as we
have existed. He wants you for your power, just as he wanted your mother. I can
see that in his eyes. His father wanted me in the same way. He wanted to eat me
with his eyes! People say that those men eat
they eat filth. I tell you,
believe me. I am going to call your mother right now,"
she said, and began to reach for an ancient looking phone.
"No,
Grandma! Please don't!"
Yuis pleaded, but the old woman dialed the number.
"My
daughter, your son, the shaman is here and he is in danger. Yes, I know. It is
as I have warned," she
paused as if listening. "You
must tell him to go back home now."
She handed the phone to Yuis. "You
see, I have told her. She wants to tell you something."
Yuis took the phone and put it to his ear.
There was no dial tone. He pulled on the phone set and saw that it didn't
even have a cord.
* * * *
Yuis
backed out of the house. "Better
go ahead. I'll be with
you in a moment," he
said to Mr. Cantinflas. "She
would feel better if I let her think you're
leaving. I really need to get back here later and help out. I hate that I've
never thought about my grandma. She lives alone here and it's
so sad. She's in a world
of her own."
An hour later, Yuis got back to the car
and apologized to Mr. Cantinflas.
"I
am surprised at the extent of the belief in witchcraft and such things,"
Yuis said.
"Well
these people are largely unlearned, and to them, there is very little
difference between witchcraft and religion. It has always been like that in the
countryside," he
said.
"That's
true, but in the " he
argued.
"Not
so. I did a lot of research on the subject while at "
Yuis stared at him. "Princeton?
Wow! Quite prestigious!"
He smiled at Yuis. "Yes,
well, you can see why the subject interests me, being that I am such a witch
myself."
Yuis laughed at this joke.
"In
the "
he continued to explain. "Sometimes
they are translated into religious beliefs, but they are superstition all the
same. If your grandmother sounded strange to you with her talk of witchcraft,
imagine how odd it sounds to a Hindu that some Christians believe that some
small number of people will float to heaven while all the rest stay to battle
with the devil or some such thing. Let's
be fair, Yuis, even modern ideas are largely based on belief.
"Have
you seen germs? No, but you believe that they exist, for others have seen them.
So these people believe in witches and ghosts, for others have seen them. It's
really not so strange, if you think about it. We have education, but that is
only a process where we take advantage of all that has been passed to us. We as
individuals have not investigated all that we believe was proven to be true. We
are simply more fortunate in that we have a greater accumulation of knowledge
to guide us; otherwise we'd be just as
ignorant as the poor unlearned people we laugh at,"
he said.
Yuis had been spooked by his grandmother's
ranting, but this made him feel better. He knew that Mr. Cantinflas was right. "I
think I've had it
for today," he
said. "When we
get to your house, I can call a taxi to take me back to the hotel."
"Impossible!
That would cost a small fortune. I will take you back."
"I
would feel awful. I can't do that.
You've
spent all day with me, Mr. Cantinflas,"
Yuis protested.
"Well,
if it makes you feel better, I'll send you
home with my driver. He'd love to do
it because he'd get the
opportunity to shop in town. He's also my
cook, you know, and he loves to browse through those stores!"
he reassured him.
After they reached his home, they had a
light meal and some drinks before he started back to the hotel. The driver was
a kindly older gentleman who commented on everything they passed. It seemed he had
a story for everything. When they stopped at the hotel he opened the door for
Yuis, then he dug into his pocket, drew out a small burlap bag, and handed it
to him. "It is
for the evil--to keep it
away. Smell it!"
Yuis put it to his nose and sniffed at the
fragrant herbs inside. He opened his mouth to question him, but he was already
rushing away.
When he reached his room, he was fumbling
for his swipe card when Albert stuck his head out of his door. "Yuis?
Yuis? Where have you been? I was worried sick! Please tell me when you plan to
disappear all day. Oh, I'm sorry! I
act like a concerned father!"
"Albert!"
he exclaimed. "You're
right. I should have warned you. I went to visit relatives. I had fun."
"Of
course. Here you go." He
handed him a small stack of papers. "Didn't
think you could get a free trip for nothing, did you? These are invitations
from galleries we need to visit while here. Please call them and arrange
appointments. I've noted
possible times when I can be free. Thanks, Yuis,"
he said as he closed his door.
Getting sidetracked with visiting
relatives and reading old accounts seemed unfair in the light of what could be
happening if Albert and his associate were really robbing an ancient site. It
was hard to concentrate on real problems when the past seemed so enticing. Once
in his room, Yuis went through the motions of getting ready for bed, making
sure that he ran water and moved around noisily. He thought that it was about
time to pay a visit to Felipe. Somehow he felt he owed it to the chief.
After some time had passed and he was
fairly certain that Albert was asleep, he stole out of his room silently.
* * * *
"Yuis!
Where have you been?" Felipe
rasped as he grabbed his arm and dragged him into his room.
"Let
go of me, you bastard!" Yuis
cried.
"It's
Freunhoffer," he
said. "I did
some snooping around. You see, he's been in
touch with your father for a while."
"How
do you know this?"
"I
did some snooping--it's
not important."
"Not
important? I think it is. First tell me how you got this information,"
he demanded.
"Well
okay, I know a member of the cleaning staff and he sort of let me into
Freunhoffer's room,"
he said as Yuis gasped in shock.
He grabbed his arm. "Look,
Yuis, just listen; what I have to tell you is serious! Your life is in danger!
Don't
obsess on how I found out! Listen to me!"
he growled. "Freunhoffer
has been asking your dad about his genealogy! He's
really interested in you because he thinks you have witch blood! Your father
seems genuinely pleased with the attention he's
getting, and he's actually
helping Freunhoffer! Don't you see?
He's
up to something!"
Yuis backed up and glared at Felipe. "You're
snooping on my father?"
"Look,
Yuis, there were a few letters there, but Freunhoffer keeps a journal too! He's
genuinely insane; please trust me! He has fantasies involving you!"
"Fantasies?
Look, are you implying that my father cares so little for me that he could be
endangering me like that?"
"Keep
it down, Yuis! I'm telling
you
"
Yuis turned and stomped out of the room.
He hadn't gotten to
tell Felipe anything, but he was afraid now. The old Chief would have to get
his information from somebody else. He was done with all this, and might even
consider returning to
He hadn't
gone a few steps before he regretted leaving like that. It would have been
better to hear him out and try to determine why he was inventing such tales,
and if they weren't just
tales, then what was Albert into? Yuis's
pride fought against his curiosity and it won. Still, the thought that his
father was talking with Freunhoffer behind his back made him furious! What
right did either of them have talking about him like that? Of course, it could
be a tale Felipe had concocted. He frowned and thought that his father may well
be capable of that sort of thing. He was so fond of telling his tall tales
about his family's history.
It was probably a load of bull, but Freunhoffer might have been intrigued.
When Yuis began to open the door using his
swipe card, he thought he heard some scuttling. The card didn't
respond for several tries. Yuis was afraid that he'd
have to contact the front desk, when the card finally worked. He sighed deeply
and snuck in, closing the door behind him noiselessly.
There would be time tomorrow, he thought.
For now, it was time to sleep. There was no light coming from Albert's
room and putting his ear to the door, he thought he heard deep breathing. He
picked up the phone and dialed Felipe's
cell phone number. He didn't answer, so
he left a message, speaking as softly as possible.
"Felipe,
it's
Yuis. We really need to talk, but don't
call me back tonight. I don't want
Albert to suspect that I'm talking to
you. We need to discuss the allegations you made. I want to speak with you in
the morning, so have your damned phone on you and I'll
try to call back tomorrow." After
quite a few hours of tossing and turning, he fell into a deep sleep.
* * * *
Yuis
started violently when he heard an urgent knock on his door. The dawn was just
beginning to show a few rays of light, he saw when he glanced at the window,
but the room was dark.
Albert was at the door calling to him
softly, but urgently. "Yuis, please
open, it's me,
Albert."
He hurried to open the door and saw that
Albert was wiping his eyes with a tissue. "Um
Yuis, don't be
alarmed, it's just a
personal problem, but
Oh God
" He
seemed so shaken with his face gone terribly pale.
"Albert!
What happened, for God's sake?"
Yuis cried.
He turned and entered his room, and Yuis
followed. "I
should have just left a note for you, Yuis, but I guess I needed someone to
speak with. Sorry to have dragged you out of bed like this."
Yuis realized that he was standing there
in his shorts and no shoes, but it didn't
matter much to him. "What
happened, Albert? Are you alright?"
"Well
no, not at all, he said, staring down at his hands now. I just got a call from
the police. This is really personal, Yuis, but you know, my trip here wasn't
just for business; you see, I had a child with this woman--a
woman I almost married. The child is five years old and I always visit him when
I can. But
but
" he put
his face into his hands and took in a great shuddering breath.
Yuis had never seen Albert lose his
composure. He'd always
been in control, but now
"Yuis,
my son
oh God, my baby boy
they were involved in an accident. His mother is
dead and he is critically injured! I just didn't
want to go to the hospital alone. I just don't
know what I'd do if he
died. I love him dearly and if he dies before he gets to see his daddy one last
time
I might not want to live. I don't
know if I can go on!"
"Shit,
Albert! How awful! I'll go with
you. Of course. I'll throw on
some clothes."
"Thank
you, Yuis. You don't know how
much this means to me." His
shoulders began to shake as he suppressed his sobs.
"Just
get dressed and I'll be right
back," he
said, rushing off.
When he returned Albert had dressed as
hastily as he had. He looked haggard and pale. His clothes were rumpled and he
blotted at his tears with a trembling hand. They hurried down the elevator and
into his waiting car. Albert's face was
pallid and grave. They drove away quickly, there being almost no traffic that
early in the morning.
Yuis didn't
know what to say. He wasn't good at
stuff like this.
Albert sighed sadly and they rode on in
silence until Yuis asked, "Where
is the hospital?"
"It's
a small town. We have a way to go. I will arrange to have him moved to a bigger
hospital as soon as possible. Maybe we can move him to the mainland if
if he
makes it," Albert
sobbed.
Yuis regretted having to trouble him with
such a question, but they had been traveling for some time in areas that seemed
too remote. They must reside in a small rural town, Yuis thought.
A lurching stop caused him to straighten
and look out of the window.
"Where
are we?"
"We
have to make a stop here and change cars,"
Albert said, his voice suddenly taking on a cold edge.
Yuis saw an unattended Jeep parked in the
foliage. Suddenly the chauffeur's window
slid open and the man turned toward him. He wore a primitive mask carved from
wood. It was a grotesque mask with a horrible leering visage. Yuis struggled
for breath, and grabbed at the door in a vain attempt to run, but Albert's
hand had tightened on his and he could only watch as the masked figure put a
reed to his mouth and blew a tiny dart into his neck. Yuis felt himself go
limp, but didn't lose
consciousness. He watched helplessly as the man and Mr. Freunhoffer hefted him
into the Jeep.
Chapter Nineteen
Felipe
woke with a scream in his throat. He sat up in bed; sweat pouring from his
trembling body, but as awareness returned, the nightmare he'd
been having fled from his mind. He was left with a sick feeling of fear and the
knowledge that he had to act quickly. But for what? His thoughts were muddled
as he flung off the bed sheet that had worked its way around his legs.
He stood before the window that looked out
over the city as if the answer to his uneasy feeling would reveal itself.
Why am I so afraid?
He turned away from the window and dressed
quickly. The clock on the nightstand showed that it was just after nine, but
Felipe felt exhausted. The night before he'd
been unable to sleep until the first light of the sun brightened the sky. Now
he had a monstrous headache, but he couldn't
sit still and relax.
His mind wandered to thoughts of Yuis, as
it did so frequently these days. Could he have put him in danger by asking him
to keep an eye on Freunhoffer? Now after reading that perverted man's
journal, he was sure that Yuis was in great danger and cold finger of fear
touched his heart.
He
realized that he'd left his
cell phone under some clothing when it rang, and he had to dig for it.
"Carlos!
Great, so those people do want to buy the painting!"
he said, after his assistant in
For now, the danger Freunhoffer posed
weighed on his mind. Could he be so crazy as to carry out the mad things he
wrote in his journal? Maybe that was the import of his nightmare, if he was
going to be foolish enough to believe that a nightmare was some kind of vision
into the future. No, that couldn't be.
Freunhoffer was sly and irksome, but above all, he prided himself on being
cultured. Maybe the wild ravings in his journal were his attempt at creating a
fantasy where he'd be free to
enjoy forbidden pleasures. Freunhoffer always seemed to be a man of great
learning and culture, despite his cruel words. There was no way he'd
ever sink to the barbarism of laying rough hands on another person. That didn't
mean he wouldn't let someone
else lay rough hands on Yuis.
Felipe's
imagination was in overdrive. He needed to see Yuis. Those passionate eyes
filled his mind and before he knew it, he was walking toward his room. He
passed a man pushing a room service cart, and the sight of another person
acting like today was just another normal day made Felipe feel chilled.
He knocked on Yuis's
door and waited, but there was no response. He was about to knock again when
Freunhoffer opened his door and peered at Felipe. He was clad in a dressing
gown and with his mussed up hair and bleary eyes, he looked like he'd
been sleeping.
"Well,
what a pleasant surprise. How may I be of service, Mr. Cacique?"
"Where's
Yuis?" Felipe
demanded.
"In
his room as far as I know,"
Freunhoffer said as he suppressed a yawn.
"He's
not in there," Felipe
said.
"Perhaps
he's
getting breakfast in the dining area. Why don't
you go look for your little boy-toy down there?"
Felipe glared at him. There was a glint in
Freunhoffer's eyes, but
no, perhaps he'd imagined
it.
"What
happened? Did you fail to perform for him last night? Did he run off on you? Oh
my, that's never
happened to me before; but say, I know a doctor in the area who specializes in
problems like that. You might like to
"
Felipe turned and hurried away without
another word, but he could hear Freunhoffer's
laughter following him. He reached the dining area slightly out of breath. In
the center of the buffet table was a huge bouquet of fresh flowers. Felipe
scanned the faces of the people sitting at the small tables. He walked up and
down the room, staring into people's faces.
Suddenly, his mind flashed a vision before
his eyes and Felipe cried out in distress. It was from his terrible dream last
night but it came back to him as he stood there. On the floor of the jungle,
nestled near the base of a tree, he saw the body of a hummingbird. He picked it
up and held the tiny form in his hands. The feathers were so bright and soft.
He stroked them tenderly as the tears poured down his face. The body was cold
and the little claws were wrapped up tight.
There was a young lady at the front desk.
Felipe waited until someone ahead of him finished signing in and then he
approached the concierge.
"Excuse
me; I was wondering if you could tell me if Yuis Rosales Sanders has checked
out today?"
"Certainly,
sir,"
the young lady said.
She flipped through the sign in book and
scanned the names.
"It
looks like he's still in
the hotel; there's no record
of a person by that name leaving."
"He's
not in the hotel, I know that for sure,"
Felipe said. "I have
reason to believe he's in danger.
Is there any way you can let me into his room? I need to see what happened to
him."
"I'm
sorry, sir, but only members of the cleaning crew are allowed to enter the
rooms of guests. Anything more would be a breach of privacy."
"He's
in trouble, don't you
understand?"
Felipe realized that he'd
been raising his voice.
"I'm
sorry, sir, but there's nothing I
can do without a search warrant."
"I'll
just have to get one then. This matter is urgent."
Felipe grabbed his cell phone and dialed
his uncle's number.
The phone rang once and before Felipe said a word, his uncle started to talk.
"Mukaro,
where are you? Yuis is in great danger!"
Felipe shivered. "How
do you know, Uncle?"
"There
is no time to explain now. He needs your help,"
the Cacique said.
"Mukaro,
you must listen to me. You need to return to the tribe. We will find him if you
let the gods guide us to him."
"Okay.
I'll
be there soon."
"Mukaro,
bring the sacred Zemi."
Felipe hung up, but his feeling of
desperation was growing stronger.
When he reached the lobby, the concierge
approached him looking concerned.
"Have
you found your friend yet?" she
asked.
Felipe shook his head and ran back to his
room. The Zemi was still on the table where he'd
left it. The room was almost too quiet, and as he approached, there seemed to
be a brooding heaviness surrounding the sacred object. He hesitated, but then
he told himself to stop being silly. He grabbed the Zemi and wrapped it in
brightly colored silk that had been brocaded with gold thread.
Outside, Felipe clutched the precious Zemi
as he trotted over to where his car was parked. The afternoon sunlight glinted
on the cars that passed by, and the people in the streets walked by laughing
and talking. Everything seemed so normal. As he got into his car, he tried not
to think about what he was doing. He didn't
want to think he was abandoning Yuis. He believed in the gods, but he felt that
there was a limit to what they could do. Even so, he found himself tearing
through traffic, heading toward the tribal headquarters.
Chapter Twenty
The last
thing Yuis remembered before waking up was being carried into a thatched hut
and being stripped of all his clothes. Then the man in the mask had plucked
dried leaves out of a clay pot and placed them into a fire which was burning in
the center of the hut and had left. Soon the dense smoke no longer stung his
eyes. He felt overcome by sleepiness and drifted off. Now he'd
been jostled into consciousness and he felt sharp twigs poke him.
He tried to yell, but only a muffled moan
escaped his lips. He could see the canopy of the jungle above him as he was
dragged along, bound to a litter constructed of branches and thatch by what
looked like jungle vines. He tried to struggle, but his body didn't
respond. He couldn't see who or
what was dragging him along, but he could hear him grunting occasionally.
Panic welled up in his mind and the
poisons of primal fear coursed through his body. It wasn't
just that he feared that the person would murder him; but it was the thought of
how he planned to kill him that terrified him.
Tears dripped from his eyes and he moaned
deeply as the evening fell and they progressed up the mountainside. Finally
they reached a plateau and the movement stopped again. He was dragged into a
very lush clearing where flowers of all sorts bloomed. Orchids nodded gently
from the trees he was looking up at.
Finally the man moved into his line of
vision. He was a monster, Yuis thought as he looked at him. His pale body was
totally naked save for a hideous wooden mask that covered his face. His torso
was scarred horribly from the chest down in weird designs that made his head
reel. The leering mask looked down at him and he heard rough laughter.
It had to be that crazy
grave robber, Sixto Cantinflas. He recognized the horrible mask as one
of the grotesque things in his collection of Carib artifacts. The scars he'd
seen on his body--the ones
that had peeked out of his shirt--they were
ritual scarifications like those the Caribs inflicted on themselves so as to
frighten their victims. Yuis's breath
came in ragged, silent sobs as the man took a stone knife out of a crude basket
and cut his bonds.
Yuis found that he could move his limbs,
but only in slow motion, as if he were moving through tar. He wanted to run
away, to punch this man and run, but his legs only wheeled slightly. The man
spread out several small clay pots and with his fingers, he began to reach into
them and extract oily, colored substances from them. He began to paint Yuis's
naked body with primitive designs as Yuis tried to struggle. When he was done
with this, he carefully painted his own body with the same substances.
When the man was done, he walked away and
Yuis was able to raise his head and watch him as he began to arrange items
around a huge stone slab that was set before a great stone Zemi. Yuis felt a
wave of dizziness as he recognized it. He'd
seen it in a dream. Now horror battled with despair as Yuis wondered what the
man was going to do to him.
The man set up various knives around the
stone slab. Some were the kind used to kill the victim, and some were used for
the dismemberment of the body for the cannibalistic feast, he remembered Mr.
Cantinflas saying. Was he in the grips of a madman who intended to sacrifice
and then eat him? It seemed so. Terror made him flail his limbs, but he was
unable to rise or even crawl away as the man casually prepared his sacrificial altar.
Night was falling, but the sounds of the
jungle had died away, as if in mute anticipation of his screams. The masked man
returned and he could see that he was erect with excitement. He fondled Yuis's
body thoroughly, as if enjoying it one last time, and then the man pressed
himself down on him, seeming to enjoy his terrified squirming. Yuis felt his
horrible body on him and heard his crazed laughter through the wooden mask.
Abruptly the man slid off and said, "No,
I will complete that act as I slit your throat and drink your hot, lusting
blood."
Yuis cried out in wordless terror as the
man lifted him and carried him to the stone altar. There he placed him in a
pillow of orchids and poured a viscous fluid over his face and chest.
"This
is a feast for us both to enjoy." Yuis
thought he recognized the voice, but terror made his mind blank.
"You
will enjoy the exquisite pain of death,"
he said between ragged breaths.
Yuis willed his arm to move and he swiped
at the man's mask
violently. It was torn off and Yuis saw the now enraged face of his torturer--Albert
Freunhoffer!
Chapter Twenty - One
"Oh
God!"
he moaned. "What if
they've
killed him? I'd never
forgive myself! It would be my fault!"
He drove past the familiar hummingbird
sign and parked crookedly. As he ran to the other side of his Land Rover, he
saw that there was smoke curling out from the chimney of the large rectangular
house. Even though he felt angry at having to waste precious time like this, he
felt a stab of guilt when he realized how long his uncle had been waiting for
him. Felipe retrieved the Zemi and ran to the thatched house.
He opened the door and the light from the
hole in the ceiling illuminated a scene that looked out of time. Fruits were
laid out as offerings, and garlands of fresh flowers were arrayed. Clay pots of
dried, crushed herbs were lined up near the fire. In the flickering light,
Felipe saw that his uncle was naked except for a loincloth and he was sitting
on the floor. He arose when Felipe entered the room, and wordlessly held his
hands out. Felipe entered the house, but he choked when the heat hit him.
Outside, it was hot, but in here, the heat was so intense that Felipe felt
dizzy.
Felipe gave the Zemi to his uncle and
watched as the Cacique unwrapped the silk that Felipe had protected it with. He
placed the Zemi before the offerings with great reverence and began to pour oil
into the fire with a gourd scoop.
"Tνo,
what should I do?" Felipe
asked. He couldn't keep the
frustration out of his voice. "We need
to find Yuis!"
"Be
silent."
Felipe froze. His uncle almost never spoke
in that tone of voice, but he did now.
"Shut
the door and take your clothes off. You must wear only what your ancestors
wore."
Felipe hesitated, but it was so hot with
the door shut that it was a relief to be naked. When he was ready, he sat down
next to his uncle and waited. The fire cracked and the flickering shadows
flared over the faces of the Zemi. Felipe stared at it with wonder. Was it his
imagination, or did the statue seem to see him?
The Cacique added some of the herbs to the
fire and fresh plumes of sweet smelling smoke filled the room. Felipe's
eyes stung. Sweat made his body shine.
"What
should I do?" Felipe
asked again.
"Close
your eyes. You must try to make contact. You will find your way, Mukaro."
Felipe stared at the Zemi, and then he
closed his eyes. Heat made him feel as if a smoldering blanket was draped over
his head. He wondered how long he could stand this before he'd
have to run from the room and get a breath of air, but then thoughts of Yuis
and the danger he was in made him focus his mind despite his suffering. Soon he
felt himself drifting like the smoke that curled in the air around him.
The fresh breeze on his face felt good. He
opened his eyes. Below him the deep green of the jungle spread out like a
peaceful ocean. He swooped lower, parting the haze that hung over the treetops.
A small monkey screamed as he passed by, and darted into the shadows of the
tree he clung to. Mukaro's yellow
eyes stared at him for a moment, but he moved on, riding the currents of the
wind, going closer to the mountain. There was nothing that could hide from his
penetrating eyes. His head swiveled from side to side, but finally, he found
what he sought. It was the place of the god.
But no!
There was someone there. An intruder!
His eyes glowed with ancient rage and a
scream that was a thousand screams tore from him as he began his descent.
* * * *
"You
you ruined it!"
Freunhoffer cried as he fumbled for his mask. "You
bastard! You've been
nothing but trouble!"
Yuis felt that shock and fear were finally
causing him to regain the feeling in his dull limbs, but his words came out as
slurred, incoherent moans.
Freunhoffer was panting and rage had made
his face appear more hideous than the mask. Finally he sat on the altar with
his back to Yuis, as if suddenly modest.
"I
still plan to go through with it, but it won't
be quite the same. You robbed me, Yuis. I wanted to reenact the scene I'd
pictured a million times. A Carib Indian carries off a young Taνno shaman, but
he doesn't just
sacrifice and consume his terrified victim--he
takes him to the place of the Zemi--the Taνno
Gods, and eats him there. Right in front of the gods! You see, that way the
victim would know that his gods were useless, or even worse, that they
participated in the feast! Yes, you, a shaman. How long I have waited!
"Yes
you want to know why before you die. I am not so uncaring as to deny you that
knowledge," he
cackled. "I met
Sixto Cantinflas in college. He was sent to study at Princeton. His family is
quite wealthy. So both of us were there--he
a student from Puerto Rico, and I from Germany. We found that we had a lot in
common when he gradually opened up to me. You see, as he explained, his
great-great-grandfather was a settler in that island paradise when the Indians
still roamed. He was fascinated with the Indians, so much so that he kept
several mistresses, both Carib and Taνno. The reason why the family never
shared the historic accounts written by him and his descendants is that they
were
well, bizarre, if not downright criminal.
"His
great-great-grandfather, you see, partook of the Carib ceremonies and he wrote
fascinating accounts detailing the ritual acts. He even ate of the meat of the
victims. He was, in fact, a cannibal. His mating with the Indian women he kept
as mistresses produced several mestizo offspring. His children by his European
wife all died in childhood. I've often
wondered if there wasn't something
more to that, but anyway, one of his Carib sons was very clever and was
educated in Europe. When he returned home, his father asked him to organize a
sacrifice, and he was to use his Taνno half-sister as a victim. The son at
first objected, but then when he was posed with being returned to the wild
tribe if he didn't complete
the act, he finally broke down and agreed.
"The
entire ritual was recorded by that bloody man, Sixto's
great-great-grandfather. He took obvious pleasure in it, and even consumed the
flesh of his own daughter. It seemed that after this, the two men became quite
close and the son began to enjoy their reenactments. He took over writing the
journals detailing sacrificial rituals. The horrible thing is that he came to
enjoy them so much that his siblings, save for a Taνno sister that he married,
ended up as ritual victims. Perhaps he wanted to eliminate the other heirs, or
perhaps they may have posed some other dangers to him.
"As
for the father, he actually begged his son to make him a sacrificial victim
before he died. He wrote that because he was going to die anyway, you see, he
had consumption, he wanted to experience the exquisite sensation of death by
sacrifice. The son obliged.
"Such
a fascinating history, don't you agree?
Fear caused Yuis's throat to
fill with a lump, and he struggled in vain to speak. If only he could beg him
to stop! He had to try to reason with Freunhoffer, but was he too mad? Yuis
shook his head from side to side despite the dizziness it caused him.
"I
for one have always been captivated by Native American history. Why, as a boy,
I loved nothing better than to be the Indian when my friends and I played Cowboys
and Indians. Don't be
surprised! In Germany, many of us are such fans of American Indians that even
grownups have clubs where they practice reenactments. Yes, we are unashamedly
great fans.
"By
the time I left for college, my fascination had grown to the point of
obsession. When I was paired with Sixto Cantinflas as a roommate, I knew that
the gods had chosen me. My love had been recognized and they had blessed me
with a special vision. I would be the one to continue feeding them, as Sixto's
forefathers had.
"You
see, Sixto is a failure. He shares his ancestors'
interest in the rituals and the old stories, but he is the first one to refuse
to carry on their customs. So far his interest has been waning, that's
why I believe the gods chose me to continue their line. Sixto's
late father only sacrificed pigs in his reenactments, but Sixto refuses to kill
anything, offering instead fruit. The Carib gods are not vegetarians! They want
flesh! Human flesh!"
Freunhoffer laughed hollowly.
"When
I found out from one of my contacts that he'd
discovered this place, I knew the time was ripe. He knows nothing of the fact
that I've
discovered the location. He decided to keep it a secret. He actually wanted to
leave the Zemi in place! His assistant betrayed him and sold it to me! I will
have a crew pick it up in a few days. By that time, I'll
have cleaned up after our feast. I must say, Yuis, your appearance was quite
opportune."
Yuis's
terror was so acute that he finally found the strength to moan, "Felipe!
He
he will know!"
"Oh
no. I doubt it,"
Freunhoffer said. "You
see, he will be the one blamed for your disappearance. Several people were
witnesses to your little escapades with him. I have seen to it that there will
be witnesses who will have seen you leave with him. He will be taken care of,
and his trafficking of antiquities will be exposed as well. The Taνnos will be
shamed and feared after that. I am well known for my meticulousness, and I must
admit, this will be one of my greatest successes in this regard. Despite your
rude disruption of my sacred ceremony, I shall proceed with it and enjoy this
adventure that I have dreamed of for so many years."
Freunhoffer turned to Yuis now and he took
in his grossly scarred body. He stood naked before Yuis and coaxed himself
erect again. His face was that of a wistful demon, and Yuis realized that he
intended to follow through with his hideous plan.
"I
will become one with you, Yuis. I had the misfortune of being born in the wrong
society and at the wrong time. My soul is that of a shaman, but I need your
flesh to complete the transformation."
Yuis screamed at last. It was a scream of
primal terror that reverberated through the silent jungle.
"Just
right! The victim must be fully aware, I think. And the beautiful sound of his
screams will reach the bloodthirsty gods. Even now they rush here, attracted to
the screams of the sacrificial victim!"
He replaced his wooden mask and began to
mutter strange words as he arranged his stone knives around the fruits and
flowers of the altar. Yuis saw that he now took the litter he had dragged him
in and began to break up the dried wood and thatch to use in a fire. A fire to
cook his flesh! He lit the thatch with a modern lighter and gently blew on it.
The fire ignited the thatch rapidly and he added bigger pieces of wood to it.
Finally he turned to Yuis and began to
rattle two maracas made of gourds. Yuis felt waves of terror pulling him down
as Freunhoffer took up the stone knife and mounted the stone altar with great
ceremony. He climbed on top of Yuis and continued shaking the maracas in one
hand as he pressed the blade to his throat and pressed his naked, hideous body
to his. Yuis bellowed in fury now, although the stone knife began to press upon
the soft skin of his neck.
Yuis stopped abruptly as they both felt a
great whoosh of wings and heard the eerie cry of the giant owl. It resonated
deep in Yuis's mind,
banishing the terror that had blackened it a moment before. Freunhoffer glanced
from side to side and then let out a raucous laugh.
"It's
true! See! Just see! The gods have come to partake in the ritual! It must be my
gods!"
He pressed the knife into Yuis's
neck again, but his arm shot out and knocked him off balance. He reeled back
for a moment and stared up at the circling owl. Yuis kicked at him again, but
he held his ground as he continued to watch the huge bird's
progress.
"Come
and join me, oh god! You are the Mukaro, the messenger of the gods! Come and
eat! The shaman's flesh
awaits you! I wish to share this feast and have called for the gods,"
Freunhoffer screamed insanely.
The bird called out and suddenly swooped
down at Freunhoffer's face. The
man screamed hideously and Yuis saw that one of his eyes hung onto his cheek by
a membrane. He dropped the knife and felt his ruined face. Another scream of
pain rent the air as the bird swooped again, tearing into the man's
scalp. He fumbled for his knife and blindly stabbed at the air above him.
Yuis found that he could move more now. He
used his legs to throw Freunhoffer off his body, but the madman scrambled back
and raised the knife as he swore and screamed. The owl came down again, and
Yuis heard the sickening thud as it hit Freunhoffer's
head again. Yuis took the opportunity to grab a stone knife and with sweeping
strokes, parried his attempts to cut him. His mask gone now, Yuis desperately
struck at Freunhoffer's face, but
he was too fast. He kicked the madman's
chest and he fell from the sacrificial altar, landing in an undignified heap at
its base.
Yuis sat up and moved toward the Zemi. He
grabbed a stone object and hurled it at Freunhoffer, who yelped in pain as it
contacted him. His face was a mask of fury as he scuttled back up the altar and
Yuis threw a clay pot at his head. It shattered and the red fluid stained his
face so Yuis no longer saw the streaks of his blood and his deflated eye.
Yuis felt frantically for something else
to throw, but there were only fruits and flowers behind him. He grabbed a
coconut and threw it. The hard fruit bounced off his head with a cracking sound
and Freunhoffer reared in anger. His face was dripping with the red paint and
his nose discharged clear mucus that shot out in an arc as he shook his head in
fury and let out an inhuman roar of rage. He now loomed over Yuis with his
knife poised. The owl swooped again and its talons contacted his left eye as he
fell back wheeling his arms. He fought to dislodge the owl, but it attacked his
face again and again.
Freunhoffer ran in tight circles as he
tried to stab at the creature, but the big flapping wings beat at him and
muffled his hysterical screams. He ran as he fought the owl off, and now he was
close to Yuis again. He watched as Freunhoffer ran behind the Zemi. A sheer
cliff was only a few feet from them. Yuis could see the jungle below as he
peered down from where he stood at the base of the great Zemi. Misty air swirled
around the enchanted chasm that was green with deep foliage.
Freunhoffer reached the end of the cliff
and Yuis saw the shock register for an instant before his arms wheeled and his
legs slipped on the wet ground. He plunged headlong down a fathomless cliff,
whose bottom was too far down for human eyes to see. As his scream became
distant, Yuis saw the owl swoop down and disappear into the jungle, leaving
only the memory of his hooting echoing in his ears. The sounds of the jungle
suddenly filled the air again and Yuis realized that they had been silent the
entire time.
For a moment he sat there and waited for
the dream to recede, but it didn't. He hadn't
been dreaming this time. He was calm now, and wondered at how he could be
sitting there so serenely when a moment before he was about to be murdered by a
deranged killer.
Yuis looked at the Zemi and remembered it.
He'd
even painted this one. As if in a dream, he arranged the flowers that had been
scattered in his fight with Freunhoffer. He placed the clay pots into the
flames of the fire he'd built and
let them burn for a while. After they were purified, he put earth over the fire
and pots. He then headed down the mountainside as surefooted as if he'd
done it a thousand times. He carried a large carved conch shell in one hand and
a staff decorated with bright feathers in the other. Hummingbirds flitted
around his face as the sun began to peek out from behind the great mountain.
Chapter Twenty - Two
The
dense jungle was alive with sounds as he made his way down the mountainside.
Yuis felt a lightness in his heart that was new to his conscious life. A small
lizard raced up a banana leaf and looked down at him with eyes that blinked
with filmy, almost transparent eyelids. He reached and touched its back, but it
didn't
flinch. The hummingbirds buzzed like bees around his face and occasionally
dipped their tiny beaks to his lips, as if to drink nectar from them. He walked
on as if he knew the place.
Soon he came to a small clearing. At first
he couldn't identify
the body sprawled out on the soft jungle floor, but then he cried out as he
recognized Felipe Cacique. He lay crumpled as if he'd
fallen some distance. Yuis ran to him and stroked his cheek. A soft murmur came
from him as he pulled his arms around his muscular chest.
"Yu
Yuis? Oh God! Yuis! Are you
are you alive?"
He sat up and looked at his own naked body. "How
did I get here? The dream! The vision! I was the Mukaro, but oh God, you
you're
okay! What
"
Felipe was unharmed. Yuis suddenly
realized how naked they both were, and he felt shy. The warm air felt good, but
he felt vulnerable. Felipe stroked Yuis's
hair and groaned. Yuis felt as helpless as a kitten now that the horrible
ordeal was over. He didn't want to
talk. He looked to the ground shyly, but Felipe cupped his chin and made him
look up. He saw Felipe's face
slowly coming down on his as he kissed him softly. Yuis moaned and tried to
pull away. This was no dream, but it felt so unreal.
Felipe took him by the arms and settled
Yuis on his lap. He hummed softly for a moment before planting his lips on Yuis's
again. He opened his mouth and slowly whirled his tongue around Yuis's,
and as he pulled back, Felipe moved forward, so that he could not escape his
passionate kiss.
Yuis was erect now, and his body was
acutely sensitive to every sensation. Felipe now moved his kiss to his neck,
lapping and nibbling until Yuis felt he could bear it no longer. He forced Yuis
to the soft grass, and with his two hands on the ground on either side of Yuis's
shoulders, he looked at him with erotic, half-closed eyes.
"No
not that," Yuis
managed.
"Just
wrap your arms around me tight," Felipe
whispered.
"No,
I can't. You hold
me. I'm scared."
Felipe took Yuis's
wrists in his hands and licked each hand like a big dog. He kissed him again
and again, and then he pressed his chest over Yuis's
to hold him down, while he now used his hands to lift Yuis's
hips.
"It
will hurt!" Yuis
complained.
"Just
for a moment, until I get in. I promise,"
Felipe said with a husky voice.
He placed one finger in Yuis's
mouth. "Lick
it. Make it wet." Yuis
clamped his mouth shut, so Felipe dipped it into his own and began to softly
massage Yuis's bottom. It
felt good and Yuis began to relax.
"Ahh
no, Felipe," he
cried as he was penetrated. "Ahh
"
"Does
it hurt now?" Felipe
asked gently.
"No,
but it feels weird."
Felipe began to thrust shallowly,
massaging that sweet spot, and Yuis began to cry out as pleasure surged through
him. Felipe was no longer able to hold back and he plunged in deeper, as Yuis's
hips began to undulate wildly. Both of their bodies climaxed as they shook
together in the throes of their passion.
Felipe lifted the limp form. Yuis had
passed out. He carried him to a nearby stream and Yuis moaned softly as Felipe
dipped him into the warm water and washed him off. Just watching the languid
movement of Yuis's lips and
his half-drunk eyes made Felipe rigid again. He took Yuis on his lap in the
water and stroked his hair away from his eyes.
"Love
me again," Yuis
said softly. "Do it
again."
Felipe turned him around so that they were
facing each other and kissed him, alternately licking his wet face. Yuis's
arms encircled his neck and he began to kiss Felipe with determination. Yuis
gasped and his eyes looked dazed with need. Felipe adjusted Yuis on his lap and
gently inserted his erect member into Yuis's
softness, and he massaged that spot until Yuis cried out like a jungle bird and
writhed on his lap. Again and again they both came as the morning grew warmer.
Finally, Felipe carried the exhausted boy to the shade of a large tree and they
fell asleep in each other's arms.
* * * *
"Greetings,
Shaman!" the
Cacique whispered when he found the sleeping lovers. They stirred and looked up
at him, but he continued to speak, as if to himself.
"I've
waited for this day for many years!"
he said. "It's
been five hundred years since Columbus came to these shores, and since that
time the shamans of our tribe have been decreasing. Most Taνnos had forgotten
the old ways. Even though the blood of the tribe runs through most of the
people in Puerto Rico, at one time, there were few of us who remembered where
we came from. Then in the time of my grandmother, the tribe began to come together
again. We saw how the Native Americans in North America were uniting and we
began to do the same. We stopped being ashamed of ourselves and our customs. We
began to gather the words of our nearly forgotten language, and to remember our
old legends and customs.
"Our
tribe was almost complete, but we had one great lack that's
troubled us. I am the chief of this tribe, but I am only a political leader.
The shaman is the heart of the tribe; and it is through the shaman that the
secrets of the gods are revealed. He is the bringer of light, truth, and
happiness. Long ago, my grandmother told me that in my lifetime, the shaman
would return."
The Cacique laughed. "Yuis,
you have been chosen long ago for this. You were in fact born for this,"
he said. "Do not
pretend that you don't have
visions. Mukaro told me all about your pictures and the Zemis you can create. A
shaman never chooses to be one. The gods choose."
"But
Felipe sees things too," Yuis
said. "I think
he can do even more than that," he said,
remembering the great owl that had attacked Freunhoffer, and now in the light
of day, wondering if it all hadn't been an
illusion.
"Yes,
and I also have some ability, but none are as powerful as yours. Mukaro will be
the guardian and consort of the shaman, and now this tribe is complete for the
first time in 350 years."
* * * *
"Oh
no! Felipe, there are police cars!" Yuis
said as they approached the village.
"Don't
worry, that's my uncle's
friend, he just so happens to be Taνno."
The Cacique approached his police friend
with outstretched arms.
"Taνno
ti."
"Taνno
ti,"
the detective replied.
"What
brings you here, my friend? Come, let's
go in."
Yuis and Felipe followed the Cacique and
his police friend into the rectangular house where they sat on the straw mats
which were placed on the ground. The air was still scented with the sweet smoke
that the Cacique had used in his ceremony, and Felipe shook his head in wonder.
How had he found his way from here to the jungle where Yuis had found him? How
had he seen what he remembered seeing? Had these herbs such power, or was it
his mind? He took Yuis's hand in
his and by the look in his eyes; he knew that Yuis was pondering similar
thoughts.
Yuis didn't
seem perturbed when he saw the Zemi he had made set up in a place of honor with
fresh fruits and flowers surrounding it. He seemed caught up in remembering
many things, which Felipe knew only he could understand.
"So
tell us your news," the
Cacique said.
"There's
a lot to tell. I wanted to let you know that we found the body of a White male
this morning. It appears that he may have committed suicide by throwing himself
off a cliff; every bone in his body was broken and he'd
been cut up badly. We assume his body was cut by sharp rocks and sticks as it
tumbled down. I'm afraid
animals may have fed on it during the night too. There wasn't
much left. It wasn't a pretty
sight.
"Whatever
was left of his torso may have been scarred badly. That might help in his
identification, since most of his teeth were missing; I suspect from the
terrible fall. We suspect that he is a Mr. Albert Freunhoffer. We found a jeep
parked at the base of the mountain and we found a wallet with his ID and a suit
along with undergarments. Perhaps the man fell by accident, or perhaps he
committed suicide. We're looking
into any evidence that could suggest foul play, but so far, have found none.
A man by the name of Sixto Cantinflas, a
friend of Freunhoffer's says that
the man indeed had scars on his body. He was at the station identifying the
body. This is where I need your help, Cacique."
"Ah,
yes. Mr. Cantinflas was here last night,"
the Cacique said. "I can
be the witness to that. If they suspect him, you must advise them that several
of us were with him all night. He came here to inform us about his discovery of
an ancient Zemi in that mountain. He also told us that when he informed his
friend Freunhoffer of his discovery, the man wanted to take it and sell it in
his
"We
do not want the authorities to know about the discovery of the Zemi. We wish to
leave it where it is, as it has been since ancient times. If the government
finds it, they will take it to their museum. Mr. Cantinflas has kindly offered
to show us the sacred place of the Zemi. I ask you to keep this a secret. I
understand what happened here is that Freunhoffer was mad at Cantinflas when the
latter refused to disclose the location of the Zemi. He then tried to find it
himself, and because it was dark, he fell to his death. The fact that he had
scarred his body must not reach the newspapers; can you see to that?"
"I
will do my best," the
officer said. "The
government is not eager to advertise such things anyway. Tourism can be damaged
if crazies are known to kill themselves by jumping off cliffs. I think we'll
be okay. As for the Zemi, Mr. Cantinflas hasn't
mentioned it, and neither will I. It is a great thing indeed that we have had
such luck. But isn't Cantinflas
known to be an eccentric? There are people who have feared that family for as
long as I can remember."
"It
is true. Cantinflas is from a family that has always identified themselves as
Carib Indians, but he is also Taνno by blood of his mothers. When he came here
last night and spent time with us, he was greatly touched by the sight of so
many people trying to regain their ancient heritage. He has decided to join us
and to try to do the same for the Carib heritage that is almost lost. I think
we shall have a wonderful and fruitful future with the help of these young
people," the
Cacique said.
Yuis and Felipe looked at each other,
knowing that they would never tell anyone but the Cacique what had really
happened. After the officer had left, the chief looked at them and smiled.
"That
man, Freunhoffer
"
"Yes,"
Felipe said.
"He
was a madman," Yuis
agreed. "I can
only feel sorry for him. He wanted so badly to be an Indian, but his ideas were
perverted. He was only interested in the evil things. Every culture is
contaminated with some evil, but that isn't
the heart of it. The Caribs were just like any other people. Why did he want
only the dark side of their history?"
"Yes,"
the Chief said. "People
like him are fascinated with the dark evil only. Even the Aztecs, who are
related to us, were great sacrificers of humans, but they thought they were
doing good for their gods. We will not judge them from where we are now. Ours
has always been a peaceful culture, but we can only thank our gods and shaman
seers that we did not reach for evil. We all know more now. The White people
who were our oppressors do not strive for that anymore. We must take the good
things of our past and use it as the seeds for the future. Yuis
there is
someone here to see you," he
pointed to one of the huts.
The officer got into his car and left.
Yuis allowed the chief to lead him forward, leaving Felipe and the rest of the
tribe behind. As he approached the hut, Sixto Cantinflas emerged with a
beautiful woman at his side. She was dressed in the style of the Taνno Indians.
Her fine, toned body was visible through the scant clothing she wore, and her
smile lit her face as she rushed toward Yuis and took him into her arms.
"Mom!"
Yuis cried. "Mom,
what
how
how did you get here? Why are you
do you know him?"
he gasped as he pointed to Mr. Cantinflas.
"Please,
my son, please understand. This man is
is your father."
* * * *
"I
wanted to tell you before, but I just couldn't.
Please forgive me," Yuis's
mother said. "I've
always loved Sixto, but my mother wouldn't
allow us to see each other. She was convinced that our union would produce a
strong witch, or shaman. You see, my family is Taνno. Our family carries the
shaman lines. Sixto has told you the story of his European family, but his
Indian family also consisted of the shamans of the Carib Indians. He has strong
witch genes on both sides of his family."
"But
how about Dad? Were his stories true? Is he also from witch lines? Grandma told
me!"
Yuis cried.
"No,
those were just his fantasies, Yuis,"
his mother said. "He told
those stories to anyone who'd listen. I
think they're just
stories. He started them when my mom, your grandmother, came to visit when you
were born. She began her talk about witches and he made up the story. He was
really playing with her, but it was a cruel joke. She believed the tale and
then he became angry because she was afraid of what we had produced. You see,
she didn't know that
your dad isn't able to
produce children.
"I
was able to convince him that it was just a fluke and that he had been able to
give me one child. It was easy because of your blue eyes. He didn't
know that we have those in our genes; just look at your great grand aunt, the
one who was also a witch." She
paused and looked at Mr. Cantinflas for a moment.
"Sixto
and I
we'd given up
hopes of being together. I met him at 's
such a shame; he was a good looking guy, but nuts. When I brought Sixto home to
meet my mom, she went crazy. She threatened to tell some very bad things about
his family. We had to promise not to see each other.
"Later
I met your dad, and he was a fun guy at the time. We eventually married and
after he forced me to undergo a million tests, we learned that he was
the one who was unable to produce children. Eventually I went home to visit my
mom, but he wasn't interested
in coming with me. It was during one of these visits that I got together with
Sixto and it happened. It was like magic for me, and from the moment it was
over, I knew I was carrying a part of him and that I would always see him in
you. I never regretted it. I have seen him in your eyes and in your gestures.
You are truly his son and he guessed that too when he first met you.
"He
never intended you to come to any harm. He knew nothing of Albert's
insane plan to
to hurt you! He planned to
oh God! I can't!"
Sixto put his arm around her and continued
her story. "When I
first went to college I was so alone. My father, according to our family
tradition, had scarred my body ritually when I was a boy. This shamed me so
greatly, but I was shocked that my first roommate, Albert, was fascinated. He
wanted to know everything about my family's
history, and gradually, I was foolish enough to trust him with it all.
"He
went home with me at every opportunity, even for the Christmas vacation. He
would spend hours and hours with my father. One day, I found out why. He'd
requested my father to perform the scarification ceremonies on him and every
time we left there, he gained more scars on both his body and mind. He read
every journal my ancestors left with relish. He helped my father as a son would
to perform the rituals I so disliked. In him, my father found a true son.
"The
only thing that Albert couldn't attain was
the birthright of a shaman. Now it happens that the Caribs believed that by
consuming the flesh of a shaman, one would gain that person's
powers. I was horrified when my father passed away, that Albert asked for a bit
of his flesh. I refused, of course, but knowing that Albert was persistent, I
had the body guarded as well.
"He
was obsessed with the idea that he could gain occult power. He would try any
means possible. One time I discovered that he'd
been collecting old bones that he could steal from museums and anthropology
departments here. He was powdering them and drinking them in the hopes that he
would gain powers if one of them had been a witch or shaman.
"I
made the grave mistake of revealing to him that I had a son. Believe me, as
obsessed as he was, I still never dreamed he'd
be this crazy. He first arranged to have your father cover one of the shows at
his gallery. He managed to turn the conversation to you, and when he saw your
paintings, he was convinced that you were a true shaman witch.
"I
also made the mistake of telling him about the Zemi I found. I had planned to
tell the Cacique, the Taνno chief about it, but Albert convinced me that Felipe
Cacique would steal it and sell it to the highest bidder. I decided to keep its
location a secret, except that I felt that I had to tell Albert, my old friend.
Later I decided not to let him know its location, but he managed to bribe my
assistant.
"When
you came to visit, we were arguing about the Zemi. I wanted to turn it over to
the authorities and he wanted to leave it in place. He said that it should be
preserved like that, and I finally agreed. He wanted to visit the Zemi, but I
steadfastly refused. He showed no sign of insanity then, but he was planning.
When he suspected you, I agreed to bring you to visit me and assure him that
you knew nothing. I was a fool to believe him when he said he wouldn't
bother you.
"On
the morning that he kidnapped you, he knew I had left for 't
been for the Cacique and Felipe
"
Yuis's
mother sobbed and hugged him again.
Epilogue
Yuis
still couldn't believe
his dreams had come true. The Freunhoffer gallery was packed; hundreds of
people dressed in their finery were admiring Yuis's
artwork. Many of the faces in the crowd were Yuis's
family, but some were the faces of Taνnos he'd
never met before. Most of the people were art collectors from all over the
world.
Yuis's
head was spinning from all the excitement and all the champagne he'd
consumed. The New York Times had touted this one-man show as one of the
most exciting events of the year. Even now his father and several underlings
were covering the story for their newspaper.
"I
always knew you were going to make it big,"
Yuis's
father said. "Yes
indeed, you have me to thank for encouraging you every step of the way and for
setting you up with Albert. That was a great break for you wasn't
it, son? Too bad dear Albert isn't here to
see this!"
Mr. Sanders squeezed his new girlfriend
Amanda's hand as he
smiled at his son. It had been hard enough for Yuis to accept that Sixto
Cantinflas was his biological father, but when he heard that the father he'd
known for his entire life had been having an affair with Amanda, his secretary,
he'd
been devastated for a while. Later he'd
found out the truth. His dad had had many affairs before this, but he refused
to be sucked into those thoughts today. It was his big day!
Despite his determination, Yuis had a
brief vision of Freunhoffer with the sacrificial knife in his hands and his
face contorted with rage. He winced when he remembered again how his father had
almost gotten him killed by opening up like that to Freunhoffer.
"Uh,
yes, Father. Thanks so much."
"This
Cantinflas fellow is another well-wisher of yours. If it weren't
for him this could have never happened, especially considering poor Albert's
untimely and tragic demise. I'm sure that
Albert would have wanted this for his favorite assistant!"
He winked at Yuis.
Yuis felt ready to burst when he said
that, but he couldn't deny that
some of it was true. Cantinflas had owned half of the Freunhoffer gallery, and
when Freunhoffer died, Sixto Cantinflas, Yuis's
biological father, became the full owner. The papers covered the story of
Freunhoffer's tragic
accident while climbing a cliff to pursue his love of art. Yuis had read his
obituary and had shivered when he'd read, "The
art world will miss this refined and learned gentleman."
It was a great irony that this show was dedicated to Albert Freunhoffer. A
painting of him was hung in the entrance area, but Yuis never looked at it. His
face would be one he'd remember
for the rest of his life.
After all the dust had settled, Sixto
Cantinflas and the Cacique had become good friends and they helped to organize
and promote the show that was going on now. Yuis looked over to where they were
talking together. The Cacique was the special guest, and he was dressed in
exotic Taνno finery. His headdress was made of brightly colored parrot feathers
and the leather he wore was richly beaded.
Yuis's
father was still smiling complacently. "Yes,
after Mr. Goldstein heard about what was going on in your life he wanted to
have you back, but I told him your working at the newspaper was just a stepping
stone for you. You've always had
your eyes on a greater prize. It's a good
thing I was so supportive of your talent, but of course, after all my work
covering art shows, I have a great understanding of the needs of an artist."
Yuis's
mother had walked over and heard his proud banter. She and Yuis shared a
glance, and she rolled her eyes. His father had begun to change his tune ever
since he learned about the offers that were pouring in from art collectors
around the world. Felipe could hardly keep up with all the new contacts he had.
But of course, he'd been
distracted lately. Even with Carlos's
help, the number of requests for Yuis's
art was more than he could keep up with.
Yuis tried to spot him in the throngs of
people. Felipe was standing near Carlos, who held a tiny white poodle with a
rhinestone collar. The puppy was being lavished with attention. Yuis had heard
him call her "the
belle of the ball." Carlos
was beaming from ear to ear, all of his grief over the loss of Palomita
forgotten.
"You'd
better circulate more Yuis," his
father said.
Yuis quelled the quick retort that came to
him and said, "I guess
I should. I'll talk to
you later."
His father waved and moved off toward a
rich Bavarian couple that had come to take a look at a large painting of a
Zemi.
"You
look handsome, my son," she
said.
"You
look great too, Mom. You and Sixto seem so happy. I'm
looking forward to knowing him better. I feel like I have another father."
Noki truly looked radiant. She'd
changed so much since Yuis had left home that fateful day.
"I
guess I better let you get back to your guests,"
Noki said as she looked toward Sixto and caught him smiling at her.
Sixto Cantinflas smiled at Yuis; he looked
handsome in a well-cut tuxedo.
"Oh,
hello, Sixto! How are you?" Yuis
asked.
"I'm
doing very well, thank you. I'm very
pleased with the turnout tonight; our catering staff certainly has their hands
full."
Yuis smiled at him. "So,
you're
saying my family eats too much? Perhaps the Taνnos and the Caribs still have a
few issues to sort out."
Sixto laughed and then said, "I
heard from Noki that you bought an estate in "
"Yes,"
Yuis said. "The
condo here just wasn't enough for
Felipe and me.
Yuis allowed Sixto to hug him and he took
in the fragrance of this new father.
"What
are you touching Yuis for?" Felipe
asked as he strode up red-faced.
He cast a suspicious glance at Sixto.
"My
friend, this is my son; have you forgotten?"
Felipe blushed, and he grabbed Yuis by the
arm, leading him away.
"Excuse
us,"
he said.
"Felipe!"
Yuis hissed, but he didn't resist him
as he led him away from the crowd. "Felipe,
I know what you're thinking
of and I won't allow it!"
He opened the door to one of the back
rooms and pulled Yuis in after him.
"Felipe,
the cameras will see us!"
"Not
in here," he said.
His breath was coming quickly and he bent to kiss Yuis on the neck.
Yuis tore away from him. "Felipe,
don't!"
Felipe didn't
allow him to finish as he covered Yuis's
mouth with his. His arms wrapped around him and Yuis felt himself falling into
the magic of his touch. This wasn't the time
or the place to be doing something like this!
"I
just have to have you, Yuis," he
whispered.
His voice was so familiar, yet it still
ignited his passion.
"Mukaro,
this is crazy!"
"You
make me even crazier, Yuis. I can't stand to
see you looking so delicious."
Felipe kissed his neck and held him in a
crushing embrace.
"Leave
me, you might stink up my clothes with your damn cum."
"I
wore a condom, in case you did this to me."
Yuis gasped, "Me!
I didn't do anything,
jerk!"
"I
love you, Yuis. I'll always
love you."
There was passion in his eyes, and Yuis
knew it was impossible to stop him when he got like this. "Fine,
but I might wet myself," he
tried to reason with him.
But Felipe was deftly opening Yuis's
trousers.
"Oh,
see, you're ready,"
he said as he expertly slipped a condom over it.
"Ahh
stop, Felipe!"
"Shut
up, Yuis. Do you want everyone to know what you are doing to me?"
He planted his mouth over Yuis's
so that he could protest no longer. Felipe opened his pants and started to
force Yuis onto his lap as he sat on a dusty chair. "It
will be okay like this."
"Don't
try to get away!" Felipe
commanded, but Yuis was already lowering himself to receive the swollen cock.
His face blushed furiously, as it always did. Yuis was still shy about what
they did.
"Open
your eyes!" Felipe
commanded.
"No!"
Yuis tried to disengage himself, but Felipe wasn't
about to let him go.
"Open
your eyes, Yuis. I want you to see me making love to you. I want you to see how
much I want you." When
Yuis didn't respond,
he pinched the end of his cock and Yuis yipped.
"Do
it!"
Felipe insisted. "Open
your eyes."
Finally Yuis opened his eyes and Felipe
took in their intense blue, and their moistness. Yuis looked like he was about
to cry.
"Tell
me what you want me to do," Felipe
said roughly.
"Um,
you know, make that part, you know
"
"What,
this?" Felipe
teased as he pinched Yuis's cock
again.
"No,
you know that thing in there," Yuis
cried, and tears ran down his red cheeks.
"What
thing are you talking about?" Felipe
asked, as if he didn't know.
"You
know, in there, make me feel you."
"Say
it in plain words, goofy," Felipe
persisted.
"Damn
it, make your cock rub me the right way,"
Yuis sputtered.
"You
nasty kid!"
Felipe turned him and expertly teased him
until he had to hold his hand over his mouth to keep the cries down. He loved
to tease reluctant and shy Yuis.
Felipe loved him with all of his eternal
soul. His love burned so strong that every moment with him felt like a moment
in a different world, devoid of time and space. Even now the crates and dusty
bags piled against the walls seemed to fall away and be replaced with the green
of the jungle.
"I
love you, Mukaro," Yuis
whispered as the untamed spirit of an older soul awakened a fierce hunger for
him.
"I
love you even more, Yuis."
THE END
About
the Author
KB Forrest received a Ph.D. from "The
Native American storyteller runs in my blood,"
KB explains, "knowledge
of a period is never enough; rather, one must weave the tale as if it were a
tapestry for the enjoyment of the reader. Also, writing YAOI beats the hell out
of writing a postdoc!"