Beginning ... Chapter: One ... Two ... Three ... Four ... Five
With pregnant deliberation, Emile poured tea for her and The Baron. Now the sunlight was in Emile's dark brown eyes. In most light it was hard to tell the line between between her iris and pupil, but in this light the Baron could see they were almost all deep-brown pupil. The eyes and naturally dark eyebrows brought out the fine bone structure of her face. Even in this cold, bright afternoon light she was truly a beauty. The Baron studied her movements as he had the smoke tendril. Her tea prepared, she sat down and gave the Baron the full benefit of her gaze.
She watched the Baron as she raised the cup to her lips. He did the same, then suddenly stopped and frowned. He stood, and made a motion almost too quick to see. As Emile's lips touched the tea, she couldn't drink it. It was frozen solid. She threw the cup from her and tried to rise, but the Baron's hands continued their chaotic dance. Under his command the chair she was sitting in turned to rubber and wrapped about her arms and waist. She twisted, trying to climb out, but the top of the chair stretched up to contain her shoulders and neck; the chair legs pinned her legs. When there was nothing left to move, Emile ceased struggling, and for the second time stared full face at the Baron.
The Baron returned to his wing chair and returned the gaze. There was fire in the Baron's eyes, and an ear-to-ear grin. His breathing was heavy, like he had finished a roller coaster ride. Two minutes past. Emile occasionally tried to shift her position. The chair would let her make minute changes, then it would suddenly tighten it's grip again. It was like a cat playing with a mouse that it pretends to ignore.
"You shouldn't think so much of a person you plan to murder." The Baron finally said. "As you prepared for your final sip, your face showed such triumph, yet your eyes revealed such sadness. Was the sadness for you? Or was it for me?
"It was your eyes that alerted me. Oh sure, I knew there was something wrong the moment you entered the room. Your walk was so stiff and quiet. But I attributed it to domestic problems. That was what I wanted to find out.
"Then I saw your eyes in the sunlight... What poison, is it?
Emile struggled a bit more. The chair tightened automatically. She said nothing. The Baron gathered up the tea cups and tea pot, all still filled with frozen brown ice. He sniffed one of the cups gingerly; shook his head; then tossed them all into the fireplace. The melting ice sizzled in the hot coals, and then suddenly for a moment the flames roared to inferno strength and turned a ghastly blue as a scream issued forth. Emile gasped at the sight.
"Very deadly." commented the Baron.
"That wasn't you?" Emile's voice was a clear contralto. The accent bespoke her good upbringing. She was the burger's daughter.
"No, that was what you brought me."
"Oh my God! Forgive me! I was told it would incapacitate you, not kill you."
"Who told you?"
Emile remained quiet. She stared at the fire.
"Who told you?"
Emile remained motionless.
"Don't toy with me, dear. I like you very much or you would be dead now. You realize that, don't you?"
Emile finally looked at him for the third time. Once again the sun was in her face.
"Baron, you've enslaved my people, let my people go!"
"Was it a shaman?"
"Let my people go! They have suffered long enough under your heavy hand."
The Baron paced to the window pounded it gently and scratched his head in frustration. He turned back to Emile, "Have you valley people found a new shaman to follow?"
"Let my people go! Let me go! Ouch!" Emile was struggling hard against the chair again. It clamped back hard and broke her concentration.
The Baron laughed. But as Emile shouted her ouch, the chair relaxed it's grip. She shouted some more ouches, the chair loosened further. In a few moments she was standing in front of the chair glaring at it.
"Try that again, if you dare!" she yelled at it and kicked it. The chair barked at her and bounced. Suddenly it was acting like a ferocious little bull terrier barking and trying to step on her toes with it's front legs. Emile backed away hastily. Without realizing it Emile backed into the Baron. He pulled her arms behind her. Her back arched gracefully as her elbows met behind her back.
"No, not again." she tried to pull away.
"Yes, again." from thin air a thick white rope appeared and wrapped around her elbows and wrists. Her arms were pulled tightly behind her, and yelling ouch had no effect this time.
Beginning ... Chapter: One ... Two ... Three ... Four ... Five