platform is packed. Rush hour. I get up and grab hold of the railing
over my head. The smell of overworked, half drunk, sweaty filth gives
me a headache. The stench is pungent. I am getting dizzy.
[Lix] Can't stand the smell? But this is your kind Cimi.
Twelve already?
[Lix] One way or another. This is professional Cimeries. Not here. I
think you'll like the place. The Egyptian Avenue. Now.
Ah, back to the magnificent seven.
[Lix] I had to convince Dante. Thought a bit of the dramatic would get
you in a more reasonable mood. Seeing old friends, in old hangouts,
that should stare some emotions. You are human after all.
Must have fainted. I am sitting on one of the chairs with a teenage
face as close to my nose as a cold virus.
[girl] Sir, sir are you alright?
Yes, I'm fine. I must have dozed off. Sorry.
[girl] Dozed off! You fell faster than a tonne of bricks.
I'm a bit short on vitamin C then. I'm fine.
[girl] This is my stop. Take good care of yourself. Bye.
Bye
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I pass though the cemetery gates. The orange and purple lines in the
sky are a fitting background.
[Guard] Closing in half an hour sir. Better make it quick.
Do not have the nerve to respond. I play the typical saddened
relative. Keep my eyes to the ground and agreeably shake my head.
There's simply too many memories. I stop and try to breath. Keep the
rhythm steady. Bastard, why here.
source | |||||||
The first small tunnel comes up. I can see the shadow casted on the
floor. Deep breath and look up. Graves, Celtic crosses and angel like
statues around. The old marble along with the green and black lines
that swirl around it make me feel uncomfortable. Sterile yet dirty at
the same time. The small hill in front of me is covered with dark green
grass. The little tunnel in its middle is short and dark. On the other
side the Circle of Lebanon.
Pitch dark. No breathing. There's the light. It's a small tunnel and I
almost died. Immediately I realize, if this bring me close to being dead, then
the day will end young with me dead anyway. Somehow that puts me at
ease. The Cedar of Lebanon sits in the middle of the circle. A circle
filled with doors each of which holds some of the most known and
aristocratic families. Dead. Food for the snakes, worms and foxes that
have made this place into their habitat. The cedar at the top. A
symbol for peace, immortality and tolerance. Irony? Or is it me.
HahaHAHAHAHAHAHA.
[Lix] So, I was wrong. You are a heartless bastard even as a human.
Ah, the messenger. Should I piss my pants now or wait for the encore?
[Lix] Cimi, we have missed you.
I try to get my pack of cigarettes from the inside pocket of my
raincoat when the flattering of wings, so loud I thought my eardrums
will explode, stops me.
[Manchester] This are my grounds.
I see we have a host.
I turn around to get a better look.
I do not mean any harm Nosferatu. Just reaching for a cancer stick.
The big bad bat sniffs me like I'm breakfast.
[Manchester] Keep in mind Cimeries. This is but a meeting, not a war
ground.
I am not the warrior you might assume that I am. This is just a meeting.
[Manchester] Lix. Your services are no longer required here. Make your
way out and keep your hands to yourself. I am in a foul mood and
dinner tonight was not satisfying.
[Lix] Well understood your grace.
[Manchester] Cimeries. I'll walk with you.
Much obliged, but I do not know exactly where we are going!
[Manchester] Patience.
We start walking. Silence. I can even hear the noise made by the fire
eating away the cigarette paper. Manchester walks next to me. He is no
longer a bat, but a human.
[Manchester] It's been sometime since we crossed paths.
Yes. I never had anything against you, Manchester, I just did not like your kind, that's all.
[Manchester] I know. Still one has to respect a worthy adversary, and,
call me Manny.
As you wish. I have a question, why the tour?
[Manchester] Necessary. We need a bit more time. Waking the dead is
not as fast as it might appears.
Not enough alarms clocks going around?
[Manchester] Humour of that caliber, diminishes my respect for you.
Been walking around with this suit for too long, you get to behave like it. But, I am preaching to the quire.
[Manchester] That I accept.
We stop. It's now pitch dark. We are in front of a grave but I cannot
tell which one.
Are we to part company here, or joined by someone.
[Manchester] The latter. For what is about to transpire, we will need
someone as witness. Someone that we can trust. Someone that can see
through the, pardon the expression, politics.
The spark of the lighter followed by the little light from the flame gives enough light to read
the first name written on the grave.
Funny. Real funny, Karl is the witness. This should be interesting.
[Manchester] Typically I do not play host, Cimeries. But this. This I
could not refuse.
It must be hard to refuse, after all you have been favoured by some of the parties involved in this meeting.
[Manchester] DO NOT PLAY WITH MY TEMPER HUMAN.
Easy on the phlegm there batman.
[Manchester] I WILL BE FEEDING ON YOUR FLESH
[Karl] That is not allowed. You are a host, not the owner. You are
providing a service and that service rules above all. Stand down.
Manchester stands down. I can feel his rage. Makes my heartbeat louder, faster.
[Karl] Cimeries, as a guest you should be careful. There are rules and
I will enforce them, but that does not mean that I cannot interpret
those rules as they fit me. No more outbursts gentlemen. We have
business to attend to.
We walk towards the Egyptian Avenue. As soon as we reach the entrance
Manchester whispers something to Karl. Karl agrees. Manchester says
his goodbyes and flies away.
It's only fitting that the host is a well known cover artist.
[Karl] It takes a cover artist to act as buffer between a traitor and
a born looser.
One man's traitor is another man's unspoken hero.
[Karl] Do not flatter yourself Cimeries. You first, I'll follow. Keep
your hands out of your pockets and keep to the path.
It's along corridor. Feels like I am in a boarding school and I am
heading to the headmaster's office for a beating.
[Dante] Cimeries, what is your answer.
Yes, but under a new condition.
[Dante] This is not a negotiating table.
Lucifer's been knocking at my door. Looks like we have a clash of interests.
[Dante] Really.
I thought this was a meeting without any bullshit ...oh sorry, politics.
[Karl] Language ...
[Dante] Name your price Cimeries.
I'll kill the kid. That task has become more challenging since our last meeting. So, I need my old armour back and weapons.
[Dante] Not that easy. Demons can only master that equipment.
I am sure you have already thought of a solution for that.
[Dante] and ...
Once the kid is dead, I want what you owe me.
[Dante] You've gone completely daft. You can never return to what once
was. You know that.
That is not what I had in mind. You owe me Lucifer, Dante.
I can hear Karl moving his feet. Dante must be equally surprised.
Dante walks in a circle, thinking. Or at least that is what he wants
me to assume.
[Dante] That, is not what I expected. Somehow I do not think this is
revenge. Nor unfinished business. You are not that stupid to believe
that killing Lucifer will get you anything more than just a line in
the history books. What do you really want Cimeries?
I told you. I need an answer, now.
[Karl] Dante, you must provide an answer. You also hold the right to
withdraw your proposal. In that case Cimeries cannot ...
Save your breath Karl. We know.
[Dante] I want the last feather from his wings. The last hair from his
head and his light. These shall also serve as proof of his death. In
case you fail Cimeries?
In case I fail Dante, you will have other things to worry about. It is the "get away free card" that I am giving you that you should consider seriously.
[Dante] This is our agreement. Karl seal it.
Sealing of agreements between demons was easy. You share blood. Sealing
an agreement between a human and a demon requires flesh and a nail.
The demon's nail cuts the human's flesh.
[Dante] You can pick the area.
Side
I keep the nail.
[Karl] It has been agreed. Cimeries, you must leave now. Dante you
must pay the toll to the host.
[Dante] Payed. You can collect your armour and weapons now if you
wish. Karl knows where they are.
Will do. Dante, till next time.
[Dante] Till then.
Karl grabs my arm and pulls me out of the avenue. I cannot look away.
My eyes are pinned to the place where Dante was standing.
[Karl] Cimeries, it's over. Follow me.
We walk back to the Circle of Lebanon.
[Karl] Sit down here. Rest for 5 minutes. Then we go see Douglas.
Douglas. Hahahah, this place still maintains a sense of humour.
[Karl] For those of us still here, time is all we have. Humour is an
unavoidable result. Regardless of how good or bad it might be.
Another cigarette gives my body enough time to recuperate.
Let's go.
[Karl] Douglas, Douglas.
[Douglas] Hello. Karl nice to see you again. Cimeries pleased to meet
you.
[Karl] How are the dolphins.
[Douglas] Good, they send their regards.
Can we get on with it ...
[Douglas] Certainly. The tombstone here, on the left side, has this
mark. Below this line you can use the nail you just got and write the
number to open up the grave. Everything is in there. You can verify
that now if you want.
The number Douglas....oh wait, 42?
[Douglas] Always nice to meet a fan. No. 29
Sure. No need to check it now. Karl which way out.
[Douglas] In a hurry, oh come on, stay a while. You might like it!
[Karl] Over that wall. That leads into the park. From there it should
be easy.
Do not get me wrong, you are both good company and all, but I've got a dinner appointment.
[Karl] Goodbye Cimeries.
[Douglas] All the best and good luck.
Luck has nothing to do with it.
[Douglas] I meant the dinner.
Oh, thanks.
