Aris Returns (30 page)

“Sure.” Sarah bundled the wrappers and containers from her lunch. She tossed them
into the recycling barrel, then stood to brush the crumbs from her skirt. The birds
immediately began to eat the little pieces of chips that fell to the ground. “What
a perfect day.” Her full skirt ruffled in the wind as they began to walk.

“Yeah, it is.” Her reply didn’t match her tone.

Startled, Sarah paused and looked at her friend. “What’s up Maggie? I can hear it
in your voice.”

Maggie stopped walking, turning to face Sarah. “I didn’t want to have to tell you
this, but it’s gotten a little weird.” She looked off over Sarah’s shoulder.

“What are you talking about? I don’t understand.” Sarah stopped walking in the middle
of the sidewalk. Other pedestrians circled around the two, giving them exasperated
looks for stalling the foot traffic.

“Let’s sit.” Motioning toward an empty bench under another big maple tree, Maggie
led Sarah away from the lunch crowd getting their daily exercise. They sat in dappled
shade.

“The last few nights, I’ve been followed home. At least I think I’ve been followed.”
She twisted her hands in her lap. “I can’t really be sure. It’s just a feeling. I
think there’s someone trailing behind
me but when I turn around, there’s no one there except the usual commuters. I start
to walk again and I feel that creepy feeling again.” Her voice was soft and apologetic,
“Do you think it has something to do with Gorgeous?”

“I don’t know, Maggie. Have you spoken to anyone else about this?”

“No, I wanted to talk to you first. I know he’s a special client to you. I don’t want
to get him into any trouble. And I know the whole thing could just be my imagination.
I’ve been going to a lot of scary movies lately.”

“Let me talk to him first. We’ll see what he says. We’ll go from there.” She reached
for her friend’s hands, holding them in her own. “Is that alright with you? The most
important thing is that you feel safe.”

Maggie thought in silence. When she answered, her voice was sure. “Yes, I think you
should talk to Carlos before we do anything at all. I trust him to tell you the truth.”
She smiled a nervous smile. “And I’ll stay away from fright night at the movies.”

“I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.” Sarah’s response was immediate and strong.
It gave Maggie the confidence she needed to relax a bit, to just wait to see what
happened next.

#

Sarah left Carlos a message early in the afternoon but he didn’t return the call until
evening. The tall, bright lights of the shopping center parking lot came on as the
sky darkened after sunset. Their reflection bounced off the dark, waxed finish of
her car hood. She waited to go inside the market while she finished her conversation.
A low beep on her cell phone warned her that the battery was almost dead. “Hang on
a minute, Carlos, I’ve got to plug this thing in or I’m going to lose you.” She plugged
the phone jack into the cigarette lighter. “There, now we’re good to go.”

“I don’t know why Manu would have Maggie followed. She
doesn’t have anything to do with any of this crap. I don’t even know how he would
know she exists.” Carlos sounded as puzzled as Sarah was.

“I don’t know either, but she was worried about it. Is there any way you can check
it out?”

“Let me make a phone call. Stay put. I’ll call you right back.”

The phone went silent. She placed it on the console and leaned against the leather
seat. Manu was turning into a constant problem. There had to be a way to get him out
of the equation. She closed her eyes to let her mind wander for a solution.

The ring of the phone brought her back to the moment. “Hi.”

“Hey Sarah, I talked to one of the guys who I can still trust. He says no, none of
the guys are tailing anyone. He’s pretty close to Manu and I’m sure if anything like
that was going on, he’d know. I’m sure she’s okay. Just tell Maggie to hang tight
and let me know if anything else like that happens again.”

“Thanks Carlos. If you’re sure it’s no one related to the gang, I’ll tell Maggie.
I know it’ll make her feel a lot better. Maybe it is just her imagination.”

“Cool. Gotta’ go. See you Friday.”

She placed the phone in a pocket in her purse. Climbing out of the car, she walked
toward the market feeling relieved for the first time since her conversation with
Maggie. Her stomach growled and her mind went to shopping for her dinner.

#

Each one of the four televisions mounted on the wall in front of the treadmills showed
a different channel. The volume was turned down. The words of closed caption for the
hearing impaired moved across the bottom of the screens. The music blared so loud
from the speakers attached to the sound system, she thought she would soon be in that
category. Not only was the gym freezing cold but they blasted loud, upbeat music constantly.
She pulled her ear plugs out
of her pocket, fitting them into her ears.

She wondered why all gyms seemed determined to ruin the hearing of their clientele.
She couldn’t attend any of the classes. The instructors blasted music, shouting into
microphones making static and loud screeches. If she had room for a treadmill in her
apartment, she wouldn’t have bothered joining a gym in the first place. “Soon,” she
thought, “Soon I’ll have a house and a basement with my own little Zen gym. She smiled
at the thought of a fountain and soft classical music while she worked out. Great
idea. She laughed at herself as she wondered if she was getting old or she just needed
more sleep.

As her mind drifted, Bonnie mounted the elliptical next to her. Sarah pulled the plugs
out of her ears. She was attacked again by the pounding bass line. She shouted, “Hey
Bon, how are you doing?”

“Great, haven’t seen you in a while. How’s Colleen doing?” She set the controls and
started moving her legs to the beat of the tune on the speakers.

“She and Bob are doing fine. I had dinner with them last week. She thinks she might
be pregnant.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she wondered if she had
made a slip by telling their friend. “Well, she doesn’t really know yet. It’s way
too soon to tell.” Sarah took the small hand towel off the console of the treadmill,
wiping the perspiration from her forehead.

“I won’t mention it. There’s no reason to upset her if she isn’t sure.” Sarah thought
she caught what Bonnie said through the noise.

“She’s not upset, Bon. I think she’s made up her mind that either way, it’s okay.
Colleen’s finally adjusted to married life. I think she may even be ready to have
a baby.”

“That’s so cool. She and Bob are going to have one beautiful kid. Smart too.” She
cranked up the resistance. She started to breathe a
little bit harder. “What about you? You seeing anyone?”

Sarah thought a moment, wondering what her friend would think if she said yes, a gangbanger
and a vampire. She chuckled as she shook her head, “No, no one right now. I just don’t
seem to have any time available for that.” She increased her own resistance, grabbed
the rail and began to jog in place.

C
ARLOS HAVARRO, transcript, session 18, July 16

It was dawn as I made my way through the garden from the chapel. There had been but
a handful of the court present at the secret ceremony. I wondered why I had been one
of the chosen few to witness the wedding between Henry and Anne, no longer Lady but
Queen. Christmas day was a mere few weeks away and now, the new Queen would preside
over the court. Katherine was banished long ago and Anne would never again have to
sit quietly in her rooms while Katherine shared the festivities with the King. Now,
she could Queen it over the whole court and Queen it she did.

As Christmas day approached, the court was decorated with holly and ivy. There was
mistletoe, laurel and yew branches scattered everywhere. The pungent fragrance filled
the halls and great rooms of the castle, an air of excitement hovered even in the
darkest corners. True to the spirit of the season, everyone fretted over the gifts
they would give and wondered at the gifts they would receive.

Anne chose her gift to the King with special care. Her ladies wrapped the two beautifully
decorated boar spears in the finest velvet then tied them with the most ornate ribbon
that could be found. They were set aside for the first day of January, the day of
gift giving.

I knew the feast of Christmas would be one I had to endure pretending
to enjoy the vast choices of food prepared just for the holiday. It was the same each
year. The traditional boar’s head garnished with rosemary and bay as the centerpiece
of each table, a feast for all after the restricted dining following Advent Sunday.
It was Anne who single handedly orchestrated the celebration and all was perfection.
It was said to be the grandest Christmas of Henry’s reign. The King laughed and stroked
her and showed his love in his every glance. She was brighter than the grandest jewel
and her dark eyes returned his affection.

The King ate copious amounts of food and drank a greater quantity of wine than the
strongest youth of the court. There were Christmas poems and stories and music. A
lovely melody was played, composed by the King himself. Everyone cheered at Henry’s
genius. It was late when the royal pair rose from the dais to bid the court good night.
Anne placed her small hand on his arm as he led her to their rooms. As they left the
hall, Anne nodded her head to me, smiling. I wondered at her meaning.

I had not long to wonder. The very next day she called me to her. As I entered her
audience chamber, she dismissed her ladies so we sat alone except for her lute player.
He was seated in a far corner playing softly as if to himself. His attention was on
his instrument and the sounds his fingers made as he stroked the strings.

“Aris, I have called you to me for a purpose.” She sat with her hands folded on her
lap and the toes of her golden satin shoes peeking out from her emerald green velvet
skirts. “I know not what you are but I know you are more than a man.”

I was startled but held my tongue. I waited for her to continue.

“I watch the court and I see how strange and unique you are among the other courtiers.
You hold yourself above the petty small talk and court intrigue. You seem a man without
ambition. At court that is rare indeed. What is your true purpose here?”

“Majesty, my purpose is to serve the monarchy and my sovereigns, nothing more.”

“Yes, Aris, a rare man indeed. And serve me you did. I wish to repay
you.”

“My Queen, you have paid me over and over again by allowing me to be in your presence,
by the luxury you afford me in my rooms and by the glorious horse and saddle that
you made my gift. I ask for nothing more than to continue to serve you.”

“And you will. Your service to your Queen is greatly valued.”

I was relieved my Queen had not seen the true difference between me and the rest of
the courtiers. Her summons had been for an audience of praise. She told me there would
be a special present for me on New Year’s Day then dismissed me.

The days were short and cold and soon New Year’s Day, the day of giving of gifts at
court, was upon us. I was invited to the King’s chamber in the morning to attend his
dressing. It was an honor to be invited and I knew Anne had a hand in it. It took
a great deal of time and many servants. Just as his shoes were placed on his feet,
a fanfare sounded. The door to his chamber was thrown open. A servant appeared, one
of Queen Anne’s ladies, she carried the gift the Queen had so carefully chosen for
her husband.

He unwrapped the spears, laughing out loud with pleasure. If a gift was given and
the King rejected it, the giver was known to be in deep disfavor. Each year a few
were sent from court. They knew they would be sent away when the King sent their gifts
back to them. If he accepted the gift, he would send something to the giver in return
much more valuable than that which he received. If that was the occurrence, they knew
their place at court was secure.

Servant after servant appeared before the King, each with a gift from their master.
Each waited to see if the gift was well taken. They were dismissed to return with
the verdict, accepted or rejected, in favor or out.

As he sat in the midst of all the gold and silver plate, the jewels and the shirts,
the spears and a gilded saddle, a servant of Katherine was bid to enter. A scowl appeared
on the face of the monarch as he realized
from whom the gift was sent. He unwrapped the golden cup, threw the wrapping cloth
on the floor then handed the cup back to the shivering man. He refused her gift just
as he had cast her out. He shouted at her servant to be gone. Before the man reached
the hall, word was circulating through the court of the King’s action.

The King’s man then handed me a huge trunk, telling me to make haste to Queen Anne.
It was Henry’s gift to her. I was grateful for my unrivaled strength as I hurried
down the corridors carrying the heavy weight on my shoulder. I knocked on her door.
I was bid to enter.

Her eyes were bright with excitement as she opened it. Inside rested the most beautiful
bed hangings my eyes had ever seen. Cloth of gold and silver embroidered with crimson
satin threads, made and fit for a Queen. She threw her head back with a triumphant
laugh. Her long black hair swung to her waist as she held one of the hangings to her
breast, dancing about her room.