Читать книгу Lucifer's Daughter - V. J. Banis - Страница 7

CHAPTER THREE

When her eyelids fluttered and opened, Julia saw she was still inside the tent. It was lit more brightly now, and her three companions were clustered around her. Elizabeth was patting her wrists. Allyson had managed to find a towel and some cold water which she was applying to Julia’s forehead. Margaret just stood looking down with obvious disapproval.

“She’s coming round,” Elizabeth said.

“Thank goodness. Julie. Julie,” Allyson said softly. “Are you all right?”

“What happened?”

“You fainted.”

“Oh, yes, I remember,” Julia tried to focus on her surroundings. She saw the dreary interior and the draped table. Her eyes lingered on the shattered pieces of crystal that lay scattered on the cloth. She did not want to stay here; the place represented something bad, something evil. From out of nowhere the words someone had called to her returned: “Evil!” No, she could not stay here. She had to get away.

She tried to sit up but Elizabeth eased her back. “Rest for a minute. The gypsy woman has gone to get the park’s nurse.”

“No, please,” Julia protested. “I don’t want a nurse. I’m fine. I just want to get out of here.”

“You must rest, Julie. You’re obviously not well.”

“I had a simple dizzy spell. I suppose it was the after-effects of that roller coaster ride.” She knew perfectly well it was not the roller coaster ride that had made her faint. It had been something very different. Precisely what had caused her to pass out she couldn’t be certain. Everything was fuzzy inside her head. She rubbed her temples. She tried to think of what had happened to her, but for a time nothing registered except the word “evil” being repeated over and over inside her brain.

Who had called her evil? What had happened? She thought back, forcing her mind to retrace as much time as it could. In the distance she heard the music of the carousel and remembered standing watching it spinning and spinning, waiting for the girls to wave to her. She remembered the terror that gripped her as the car of the roller coaster roared and raced up and down and around its tracks, its screeching, clanging wheels propelling them to speeds faster than the wind.

Cautiously she turned her memory to the old gypsy woman. She began to tremble inside. It had been the old gypsy woman who’d called her evil. She remembered now. She had said Julia Carson was not her real name. Gradually everything started to shift back into perspective.

“A face,” she said aloud. She sat up, pushing Elizabeth away. “There was a man’s face in the crystal ball...and then it shattered.”

“You obviously knocked it off its little pedestal,” Allyson said. “It cracked and fell into several pieces.”

“I’ll bet anything that old gypsy will insist you pay for it,” Margaret said, sounding disgruntled.

“Oh, Margaret,” Elizabeth admonished. “The gypsy will expect no such thing. Poor thing fainted too,” she added, turning back to Julia. “Do you remember, Julie? She wasn’t passed out very long, however. She stirred almost immediately. Then, when she saw you with your head on the table, she told us to lift you over onto this divan and she rushed out to find the nurse.”

Allyson dabbed Julia’s forehead. “What do you suppose the gypsy meant when she said your name wasn’t Julia?” she asked.

Julia frowned. “Yes, I remember her telling me that. I don’t know what she could have meant.” Julia purposely laughed, hoping to make light of the situation. “Of course, you all know I was an orphan, so my real name could have been anything.”

“How did the old gypsy know you were an orphan?” Margaret asked.

Julia shrugged and tried to look indifferent. “I think she recognized me when we walked over to her tent. They used to bring entertainers like her up to the orphanage to entertain the children. Maybe she remembered me from there.”

“But when people adopt, don’t they usually keep the baby’s first name, at least?” Allyson asked.

“Julia wasn’t adopted,” Margaret said, seeming to remind Julia that no one had wanted her.

“No, that’s true,” Julia said. “The people at the orphanage don’t usually change a baby’s name if it has one to start with.”

Elizabeth brightened. “Ah, then that’s probably what the gypsy was referring to. She remembered you from the orphanage and she just presumed that your parents had died or abandoned you and you had a name on a birth certificate somewhere that was different from the name the orphanage gave you. She might have surmised that you were just a foundling.”

Margaret chuckled. “The old woman just made up the whole thing, if you want my opinion.”

“I never was told whether Julia Carson was my real name or not,” Julia said. “They never told me how I came to be an orphan. They just kept me until I was eighteen, then kicked me out.” She tried to laugh but the laugh did not come. She didn’t feel much like laughing. “They won’t tell the orphans much about themselves, especially the older ones like myself. They don’t want them to go out scouring the bushes in hopes of finding their parents. We all like to think we were not abandoned, just lost somewhere...that we were never consciously given up by our mothers and fathers. Nobody likes to think of themselves as having been an unwanted child.”

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence as each of them struggled with their guilt and uneasiness. Even Margaret held her tongue.

The silence was broken when the gypsy came into the tent followed by a rather large woman dressed in white. Elizabeth had made it seem that the gypsy was worried and concerned about Julia. One look at the old gypsy’s face told Julia that the woman felt neither worry nor concern for her. Her eyes were narrowed in anger and her mouth was drawn tight against her teeth. Her expression could only be defined as one of open hostility.

“Get her out of here,” the gypsy ordered, pointing a menacing finger at Julia. “You must take her away. Take her out of my sight!”

“Now, now,” the nurse said. “Let’s not get ourselves all excited.” She ignored the fuming gypsy and came over to Julia. She felt her forehead, brushing back several loose strands of hair that had fallen forward. “I understand you fainted, dear.”

Julia nodded. “Yes.” She rubbed her temples again. “I don’t know why exactly. I’d been on the roller coaster with Allyson and I suppose the ride made me dizzy.” She glanced at Allyson who smiled at her. “And it was so warm and dark inside this tent.”

The nurse laid her fingers to Julia’s pulse. “Are you feeling all right now?”

“Oh, yes. I’m feeling much better.”

“Get her out of here,” the gypsy demanded.”She is trouble.”

Julia shot her a frightened look. “Trouble? Why do you say that?”

“You are trouble. I see terrible things.” The old woman put her hands over her eyes. “I do not want to remember. You are evil. Go away. Take her out of my sight!”

The nurse glanced from the gypsy to Julia. She smiled reassuringly. “I suppose if you are feeling well enough, we could walk you over to my first-aid station. You could rest there if you wish. Your presence here seems to be upsetting Madam Esperelda.”

“I’ll just go along back to my hotel,” Julia said. “I don’t need to rest. I’ll be all right.”

The nurse helped Julia to her feet. Julia still felt a bit faint and not too steady, but she forced herself to stand tall and straight. Leaning slightly on the nurse’s arm, she walked out of the tent with Elizabeth, Allyson, and Margaret following silently. As Julia passed the old gypsy woman she turned and looked at her. The old crone’s face was black and somber. She recoiled from Julia’s gaze. The gypsy raised her shawl up to hide her face from Julia’s eyes. “Go away,” she said in a frightened voice.

“Please,” Julia implored. “You are making terrible accusations of me. You must tell me what you mean. What did the crystal ball tell you?”

“Go. Leave me. Go.”

Julia felt miserable standing there, knowing she was frightening the old woman. The others had heard everything. Their faces were registering exactly what they thought. Every one of them would carry away this new stigma that had been so unjustly put on her.

She sighed, admitting her feelings of inferiority to herself. Now Elizabeth and Allyson and Margaret had still another reason to exclude her from their friendships. She had been singled out as being an evil person, a troublemaker. Elizabeth, of course, would say it was merely the ravings of a silly old gypsy woman, but deep down she’d hang on to those ravings and would let them color their relationship. Allyson would treat her more indifferently than before. She would smile and say she understood, but she’d retain that cool indifference she always had. And Margaret...well, Margaret would openly display her dislike for Julia.

Julia’s heart was sinking. The vacation she’d put so much faith in had turned into a disaster. It would be useless to keep up appearances now. She’d tell them she was going home tomorrow. She knew she could never stay. She knew that to them she represented a hovering, black, damp cloud. She’d only make their vacation miserable. Yes, she’d go home tomorrow, she decided.

Once outside in the clear night air, the smell of the sea and the feeling of the cold, salty breeze helped revive her somewhat. The old gypsy’s words continued to press on her, but now that she was away from the tent the words seemed less ominous. She stopped and turned back to look toward the tent. The nurse patted her hand. “Come along, dear. The first-aid station is just over here.”

“Excuse me,” Julia said, easing herself from the nurse’s support. “I really am feeling quite all right. I do appreciate your concern, but I don’t think I need trouble you any longer. I’m fine now, really I am.”

The nurse cocked her head and looked skeptical. Just then a man came hurrying toward them. “Nurse,” he called, “a little boy just fell off the carousel. You’d better come quick.”

The nurse’s skepticism about leaving Julia vanished immediately. “I’ll get my bag, Hank,” she said as she started away. Then she stopped and turned back. “You’re sure you’re all right, honey?” she asked Julia.

“Yes, fine. You’d better hurry. The boy might be seriously hurt. Don’t worry about me.”

The nurse gave a quick nod and hurried off.

“Well,” Margaret breathed. “I suppose we’ll have to see the evil one here back to the hotel before she gets into any more trouble.”

Julia forced herself to be pleasant. “No, please,” she protested. “Please don’t bother about me. I don’t want to spoil your fun. You three go along. I can find my way back.”

“Oh, no, Julie,” Elizabeth said. “We’ll come with you.”

“Why?” Margaret asked. “Julia said she could navigate under her own steam. Why do we have to go with her? All she’s going to do is go to bed. I’m sure she can manage that without our help.”

Julia forced herself to smile. “Of course I can. Please, Liz, go along. I can manage. I’m really feeling quite all right. Honest I am.”

Elizabeth hesitated. “You’re sure?”

“I’m sure. Go along with the others. I insist.”

Margaret was the first to walk away. She walked to the far side of the boardwalk and stood looking out at the ocean. Allyson turned, but a little reluctantly. She glanced back at Julia. “Don’t pay any attention to that silly old gypsy woman,” Allyson said. “Get into bed, Julie. I’m sorry I suggested that roller coaster ride.” Then she too hurried away, going toward Margaret at the rail.

It was Elizabeth who stood there debating with herself. “Oh, really, Julie. I feel terrible about all this. I insist I come with you back to the hotel. You may have another dizzy spell. You shouldn’t be left alone.”

“Please, Liz. I’d rather be by myself. You go along with the others.” She glanced toward Margaret and Allyson. “Don’t keep them waiting.”

Julia waited until the three had walked out of sight. She had no intention of returning to the hotel. The woolly mess had cleared up inside her head and she was thinking rationally again. And with the return of her rationality came the return of her strange little voices. She hadn’t realized they’d deserted her during her ordeal with the gypsy fortune teller until they started bickering among themselves. She wanted them to stop because their wrangling was interfering with her resolve.

Forcing herself to ignore them, she fumbled in her purse and made certain she had what she needed. With hurrying steps she went back in the direction from which she’d come.

The old gypsy wasn’t seated outside the tent. Julia found her huddled over the shattered crystal ball. She was mumbling to herself and handling the crystal fragments as though they were precious diamonds. Julia stood just inside the tent flap, waiting for the old woman to acknowledge her presence. When she did not, Julia cleared her throat.

The old crone looked up. When she saw Julia standing there, she gave a start and got to her feet so quickly that the stool on which she had been sitting tipped over backward. The gypsy averted her eyes and swept her arm. “Go away.”

“You must tell me what you saw,” Julia insisted.

“No. I cannot. I will not. Go. Go.”

“You called me evil. You say I am trouble. You’ve embarrassed me in front of my friends and even a stranger, and now you refuse to explain. I have no intention of going anywhere until you tell me what you believe to have seen.”

“I saw what I saw. It was real enough. It was evil. You are evil.”

Julia glowered at her. “Stop saying that! Tell me what you saw in that crystal ball. Why did it shatter?”

“It shattered from the impact of the evil that was implanted into its depth. You brought Him into it.”

“Him?” Julia frowned at her, remembering vaguely the image of the man’s face reflected in the dim glow of the ball. “Who was he? Who was the man?”

“I cannot tell you that.”

“You must. It was my future you saw. It had to do with me. I paid your fee. You owe it to me.”

“Go away, child,” the gypsy said, her voice softening. Her words came out more in the tone of a plea than an order.

Julia fumbled in her handbag and pulled out a large bill. “You must help me. Here, take this and tell me whatever it was you saw.”

The old woman looked at the bill. Her hand trembled, then moved toward it. Suddenly she snatched her hand back. “No. You must never know the evil that lurks in your future. I cannot tell you. I will not tell you. It is for your own sake.”

“I saw a strange man’s face in the crystal just before it shattered. Also, there was someone—a man—standing just behind me while you were entranced. Was it a trick you employed? You must tell me if this is all trickery. I must know.”

The gypsy shook her head. “There is no trickery here. You saw what you saw. I cannot vouch for any strange being who might have taken shape near you. I have nothing to do with conjurations; they can only be accomplished by your own patterns of thought and with your own mind power...or by those more powerful than I.”

Julia pulled another bill from her purse and shoved it into the gypsy’s hand. “If you will not help me, then please tell me who can. You see, I have never had a father or mother. My past is a blank. You are the first person who has given me any insight into my real self. All my life I have wondered who I was or what I am. You say I am evil. You say I am trouble. If that be the case, then at least put me on the right path so that I may be given the opportunity to avoid the evil you say I will do, the trouble I will cause. Help me. You must. You have the power. Please, help me.”

The gypsy woman had been staring down at the dirt floor. When Julia finished her plea, the old woman slowly raised her eyes and gazed into Julia’s. She stared at her for several full minutes.

“When I first laid my eyes on you,” the gypsy said, “I felt I’d seen you before somewhere, and I was afraid. I do not know why. There is something in your eyes to fear. I wanted nothing to do with you. The image in the crystal ball confirmed my fears. But now that I look upon you again I see yet another face...a face that does not disturb me. You are another girl suddenly. You seem to be the personification of both good and evil. Which is the stronger of the two, I do not know. That is for you to determine.”

The old woman stared more closely into Julia’s eyes. “I believe I know someone who might help you.” Her eyes wandered away, as though debating as to whether she should continue. They returned quickly. “Yes,” the gypsy decided. “I will send you to someone who will be able to direct you. Perhaps that will not be an easy path to follow, but she will show you the way, and you will then have to decide for yourself.” The gypsy turned and went toward the back of the tent. She disappeared behind a canvas partition.

Julia shook her head. She wasn’t an evil person. She had never caused anyone any trouble. Yet, as she thought back over her young life, she began remembering those many, many individuals who had shied away from her. She had never succeeded in befriending anyone except for an occasional frightened little child who was in her charge at the orphanage. But once she befriended them, the matrons always removed the charges from her care. Perhaps all those people who avoided her saw something in her that she did not know was there. Perhaps others saw what the old gypsy had seen.

Was she an evil being? she began to wonder. She’d often felt evil just behind her, but she thought she’d managed to keep ahead of it at all times. Perhaps it had finally caught up with her.

The seeds of doubt were planted. She’d have to find out the true nature of those seeds before permitting them to bear fruit, she told herself.