The Symbolon (15 page)

He pulled the stethoscope from his ears and put his hands on her arms. “But you must begin to eat again. You are only making a difficult situation more difficult if you do not care for yourself.”

Valeria nodded. She desperately needed to tell him how much she missed everyone…especially Alex.

“May I ask you a personal question? Not one about …” She swallowed and looked down. Mani nodded.

“Why didn’t you come with us to…well, you know.”

Mani thought for a moment. “
This is not something I would normally discuss. But I believe it may be appropriate in your case. You see,” he looked into her eyes intensely. “I
do
understand your situation, far better than you know!

“Valeria, this council, with Jeremiah, was not always the way it is. At one time, the council, led by Myrdd, was one who sought to expand understanding and reduce the prejudice between the immortals and the oracles, and to improve the world with our gifts, as Apollo had intended. Jeremiah was able to gain power with accusations that Myrdd had violated sacred agreements. As a result, he was executed.”

“Melitta began a petition to remove Jeremiah as the council head. I was away when it was presented at the next council meeting, 500 years later. She was executed, along with all of the other petitioners. My name was on that list.”

“I don’t understand how they…I mean, they are—were—immortal. How did
they…”

“I don’t understand how they…” She gulped. “I mean, they are—were, immortal. How did they…”

Mani looked away and she could see that he didn’t want to discuss it with her. Then he turned
to face her. “They were beheaded.” Suddenly, Valeria remembered Jeremiah’s threats to Alex and Tavish’s warning to Alex that she was watching. Valeria felt an eerie chill run down her spine.

His eyes narrowed. “Somehow
, Jeremiah discovered that oracles do not recover if Erebos performs the…” He looked away and swallowed. “I’ve often wondered if it is because they bury their head and body separately.” He shuddered.

Once she recovered
from the horror of it, she brushed her hand over Mani’s face. “I’m so sorry.”

They sat silently for a few moments and then she asked, “That woman, Shinsu, isn’t she on the council?”

“Yes, however, Shinsu is an oracle, and as such, she has been far more sympathetic toward us. She encouraged the council to reduce my supposed crimes to a misdemeanor. However, I will never return to Greece.”

“How do you survive
,” she gulped, “without Melitta?”

Mani thought for a moment. “Are you certain that you wish to know?” She hesitated and then offered an almost imperceptible nod. He took a deep breath
. “I believe it is easier now. But when you have been whole, the separation from your symbolon is a wound that does not heal.” He looked into her eyes to measure her response and let out a deep breath.

“Valeria, the best I can do is to take care of myself physically and to occupy my mind with learning.” He looked up and
, with tears lighting his eyes, said, “And pray that, somehow, Melitta will return to me.” He brushed her arm kindly. “You must find something to occupy your body and mind. You must eat and make your body strong. How do you think it would be if something happened to you? How do you think…
others
would survive? If you cannot do it for yourself, do it for
others
…who love you.”

A tear escaped from her eyes. “I will take care of myself…
for others
. I promise that!”

Mani nodded and squeezed her hands. “I must go now.”

A few hours later, Valeria was released and actually had a bit more energy because of the IV fluids.

∞

It had been over a week since she had been in the hospital and Weege was acting strange, as if Valeria was extraordinarily fragile…she guessed she could understand why. Still, she was feeling stronger but Weege insisted on picking up groceries for her every day. Valeria was certain it was so that Weege could peek into her refrigerator and trash to ensure that she was eating. Hearing the intercom ring, Valeria had learned just to hit the button to let her in.

Swinging the door open, she was stunned
to see the boy at the door!

“Caleb!”

“Um, yeah…can I come in?” Somehow, Caleb looked older than when she had seen him just over a month ago in Greece.

“Of course!”
He stepped into her apartment and she looked outside the door, realizing that she was praying that Alex was with him. He immediately wrapped his arms around her waist. She brushed his hair back and took several deep breaths and then gulped, needing to hold on to him probably more than he needed to hold on to her. After several minutes she was able to push back the tears and speak. “Caleb, did…someone…send you here?” She wasn’t sure what she could say.

He released her and tramped into the living room where he threw his body down on the couch. “Boy, this place is small!” He peeled the clear gloves off his hands that protected others from being shocked. Then he noticed all of the family pictures sitting on the coffee table. Weege had tried to place them around the brownstone, but Valeria needed them close to her.

“Yes, it is small,” she responded. Caleb picked up the picture of the two of them and the joy in their eyes.

Suddenly
, she thought of the laws and couldn’t bear to think of sweet Caleb being harmed. “Buddy…you do know that there are new rules.” She would take Caleb and disappear and warn the others. Perhaps they would all join her and she could be with Alex! Of course, it wouldn’t be fair to them, but she would die before she permitted Jeremiah to harm one hair on the boy’s head!

He shrugged and gave a short laugh with none of the joy that was typical of him. “Yeah…well, I’m not an oracle. So, nobody cares about where I go…well, I mean outside of the family.”

She breathed a sigh of relief and sat down next to him on the couch. “How did you get here?” She stroked her hand through his black, curly hair.

He swallowed sadly
. “I get a new passport every five years. They think I’m 18 and still look like a kid. Once they see my passport, and my credit cards—no one questions my age.”

“How did you find me?”

His face dropped, hurt. “I know that the rest of the family doesn’t believe me. But I thought that you would! I’m here because I’m supposed to find you for Alex. I’m your compass, remember?”
That name!

“Caleb, are you permitted to talk about…him?”

“I can talk about anything I want,” he said casually. “It’s only everybody else who can’t talk to you.” He slumped and pouted. “I
really
wanted to be a best man!”

Valeria swallowed and closed her eyes, breathing deeply. “Maybe someday…Caleb…how is…everyone.”

“Mostly…sad.” He thought for a moment. “Especially Alex.” He swallowed back the emotion.

She tried to subdue a cry. Sweet, sweet Caleb…so sensitive!

“I’ve never seen Alex so sad,” he said softly. “Lars told me that Alex could never be with you again…” He stopped, noticing Valeria’s reaction to his words. “Val…” His expression became one of pain. “I would hate it if that was true!”

After minutes of trying to find her voice, Valeria said, “Caleb, does anyone know where you are?”

“I left a note.” Caleb’s eyes evaluated her with such earnestness, that she wondered how she could hide her feelings from him. “Val?” She bit her lip to stave off the tears. “If Alex really can’t ever be with you…well…I’m getting older all the time. I could be a man in a few more years, if you want. And…well, I don’t probably know how to care about you like Alex does. But if you can wait a few more years, I’ll be your friend…probably not as good a friend as Alex…but…” He sucked in his breath nervously.

She tried to smile, but broke down in tears. “Thank you, Caleb!” She closed her eyes, needing to change the subject. It took her five minutes before she could talk. He nervously rubbed her back. She selfishly wanted him to stay here. It was a reminder and a connection that proved that somewhere out there, that magical life really had existed.

Maybe, via Caleb, Alex and Valeria could communicate like George Bernard Shaw and Ellen Terry —“a paper courtship”—except never with their own words of passion that Alex and Valeria had written. Even if that would be permitted, Valeria would vehemently disagree with Shaw that a paper courtship was “Perhaps the pleasantest of all courtships.” But at least it was communication with her beloved…her Alex. Then, just as quickly, she realized that she could not place her family in jeopardy for her own desires—regardless of how desperately she needed him. And it was unfair to place Caleb in that position. He was twelve and could touch only one person in this world. To permit his crush on her to continue was cruel.

“Caleb, you need to call Alex now. He will be worried about you.” Had she really been able to say that without crying? She thought she sounded almost normal.

“My phone is out of juice.”

“Where’s the cord?” she asked.

He shrugged. “I guess I forgot it…well, kind of on purpose.”

Valeria nodded. The trembling in her had taken on a new dimension. Caleb needed to call Alex…he would talk to Alex while she was next to Caleb. She might be able to hear his voice…he might hear hers.
Oh, to hear his voice again!

She fumbled through her purse, and sat her cell phone on the table instead of handing it to him, so that he wouldn’t see how clammy her skin was. “Here…call him. Tell him where you are.” Her heart rate continued to climb, as she imagined what he might think when he saw her number ringing.

Caleb looked at her, hurt, and nodded almost imperceptibly.

She heard Alex’s desperate answer,
“Val!”

“No…it’s me,” Caleb pouted. She could hear a gasp on the other end of the phone. She turned away from Caleb so he wouldn’t see her jaw quivering.

Then the tears began to roll down her face again and there was no stopping or hiding them. Valeria needed to calm her tears to be able to sit next to Caleb and hear Alex’s voice.

“
Oh!
Caleb.” There was a long pause. “Are you…
is she there?”

“Yeah…yeah…Alex, she’s really sad
, too.” Involuntarily, a sob escaped her mouth and she knew that Alex heard her. No one said anything for several minutes. Alex and Valeria both needed the connection—and Caleb seemed to understand it. She had to get control of herself. But to hear his voice was…a miracle…a gift!

“Caleb,” she said, as she brushed the tears from her face and tried to find her voice, “please
tell him that you will be home tomorrow.”

“She’s sending me home tomorrow,” he said, reluctantly.

There was a long silence.

“Caleb, do you want…should someone come and get you?” she heard him say. Valeria knew how it would tear her heart out to fly Caleb home to Italy, only to reboard the plane without seeing Alex. She desperately wanted the connection but she couldn’t do that to him. She dropped her face into her hands, working hard to ease the sobs.

“She’s crying, Alex,” Caleb said, sounding like he was ready to break down. She could tell that Alex was sobbing too. She couldn’t tell him anything directly or even ask Caleb to deliver a message. That would violate the agreement.

At last finding her voice, she said softly, “Caleb, it would be best if Alex picked you up at the airport in Florence,” she choked out. And then in a little more than a whisper she said, “And…I…uh…I…” a thought came to her. “Caleb, I’m going to give you a little reading assignment,” she sniffed, her voice getting stronger. “Perhaps someone…back at Morgana could help you with it.”

She could hear Alex’s pained breathing…and then suddenly the connection was gone. They had been disconnected. It was better that way. Neither of them could have said goodbye…and Caleb knew it.

That night, Caleb was disappointed to discover that Valeria,
an American
, didn’t have a TV. He had heard that everyone in America had at least one! But she bought him a charger for his phone and took him down to Times Square and even to a movie. It was so good to have his company. She needed to be strong. She needed to make her body strong. Before taking Caleb to the airport, passing him on to her beloved, she gave him his assignment to discover the author and full content of the passage she gave him. The passage read,

“
Love is not love,

Which alters when it alteration finds,

Or bends with the remover to remove:

O, no!
it is an ever-fixed mark.”

Shakespeare’s sonnets had become a favorite during her recovery in Trento, especially when Alex read them to her. This one was bookmarked on his shelf as her favorite.

Hugging Caleb tightly for about the tenth time, and probably embarrassing him, she finally let go as the sobs muffled her voice. Then she asked him to please take care of the people whom she loved, including himself! Then she watched as her twelve-year-old superhero carried his backpack through security. Several security people looked at his passport and then shrugged, permitting him into the terminal. He had to wear his anti-shock suit as he would be in close proximity to a lot of people but at least it wasn’t visible. He turned once before he rounded the corner. Instead of the emptiness of the past month, she somehow felt that, regardless of the fact that it was temporary, Caleb was stringing a line across the Atlantic to that world with the beautiful cottage north of Trento.