How Quaint the Ways of Paradox Part 2: Promises,promises,promises Chapter 16
"How quaint the ways of paradox; At common sense she gaily mocks" (Gilbert and Sullivan. Pirates of Penzance) |
Ten
days after the demon Arturo had gone to find out whether it was even remotely
possible the mortal lover of the Charmed witch was a half-breed demon seeking
the light, or the Great Betrayer himself living up to his reputation, the
whitelighter Francesca sat in Arturo’s living room watching coloured crystals
flashing away in the glass case. She knew of the magic Arturo had given the
crystals to tell him of the ways of Good and Evil, of magic beings and demons
but she never told the Powers of Light. She understood the very real fear the
definers of Good had of a demon half-breed who had found the ultimate level of
his own power and Francesca had thought it better not to remind them of what
Arturo was capable. They had to accept
Arturo and his kind but they were frightened of him.
Unlike Francesca, who sat at ease after helping herself to Arturo’s
wine.
Some
time later Arturo shimmered into the room.
Without a word he helped himself to the wine and then sat down opposite
the whitelighter. Francesca finally
asked, ”I gather from your call, that you have finally decided what to do
about Belthezor. Have you the answer?” she said ” Are you sure now?”
”Yes”
murmured Arturo sadly ” I am sure. I have watched him for ten days and I know.”
………………………………
On
the first day Arturo watched very little happened. It was a Wednesday. A sister
witch went into her small green car about 8.30 and Arturo followed her to what
was quite clearly her place of work. He
had returned to the manor and nothing had happened until late in the afternoon
another of the witches got in a car and drove off. Arturo followed her to what
he discovered was a nightclub of some sort. She stayed there all day. The first
witch returned from work, the other stayed at the nightclub until closing and
drove back to the manor.
On
Thursday, the witch drove to work, there was no sign of the little witch Arturo
knew or Belthezor until about midday when, a tall good looking man dressed in
very casual clothes left the manor and drove off in the car. It actually took
Arturo a few seconds to realise this was Belthezor. He drove to a garage where
he filled the car with gas and then went to a few stores and appeared to pick up
household goods and then he returned to the manor. Very ordinary mortal things.
Belthezor’s reputation for duping his victims was well know to Arturo.
A
few hours later, Belthezor and the little witch flew out of the house and jumped
in the car and Belthezor drove, very fast. They arrived at the nightclub and the
other witch ran out and jumped in the car. Belthezor drove like fury across San
Francisco , where he stopped suddenly at a warehouse. The third witch was
waiting at the warehouse. The three ran in and Arturo managed to see them
demolish three very nasty Arachnid demons. Belthezor watched from the door. He
drove one witch back to the club and then he and his own little witch returned
to the manor. They stayed in all
night.
Friday
was the same almost. One witch went to work, around mid morning, Belthezor came
out and worked in the garden for a few hours. After lunch, the little witch that
Arturo thought of as his witch left the house and drove off in her sister’s
car. Some hours later, the witch who worked returned and went into the house.
She and Belthezor came out soon after and drove away in her small car. Arturo
followed. They drove to a part of San Francisco that was poorer and had many
needy people. They stopped in front of a dilapidated weatherboard house. Arturo
risked getting close to the car to listen.
Arturo heard the witch say “Piper
will kill me, she would say helping this old lady was personal gain.”
Belthezor
replied “Damn their bloody rules.”
He
and the witch talked for a few minutes. Arturo was sure he was offering advice
on a spell then the witch got out and recited a regeneration spell on the house.
She drove back to the manor and the demon r went inside while she drove away.
The little witch returned about an hour later. She and Belthezor left the
house and drove to the club later that night, they stayed until closing, then
Belthezor, the two sisters and a man Arturo guessed to be the other witches
whitelighter husband got in the car and went back to the manor. The whitelighter
drove. Arturo was guessing by
this time, they had some arrangement for the car.
Saturday
followed in similar fashion. In the morning two of the witches, the club owner
and Arturo’s little witch went for a two hour run together. After lunch, the
whitelighter and Belthezor left together and drove off, the whitelighter
driving. They went to a bar and spent several hours drinking beer and talking.
They returned to the manor. Later that night Belthezor and his little witch
drove to the club where they stayed all night returning to the manor, with her
sister and whitelighter. Belthezor drove.
Sunday
was a flurry of activity. At various times Belthezor or one of the witches drove
anxiously out and back using either one of the cars. As dark fell, all three
witches and Belthezor met at a museum in San Francisco. Belthezor picked the
lock and Arturo watched whilst the three witches efficiently disposed of four
fire eating demons.
They
returned to the manor. An hour later the youngest one left with a good looking
young man. She returned to the manor at dawn.
Throughout the next week Arturo watched. Occasionally Belthezor drove the
car and picked up errands. On three nights he and his witch drove to the club
and returned after closing with her sister. Once he drove to the club in the
middle of the day and picked up the older sister. He drove her to a municipal
office. Twice Arturo observed Belthezor working around the garden.
On
Wednesday when his witch was out, Arturo observed Belthezor drive off and meet
the youngest sister on a highway. It was obvious her car had broken down. He
drove her to a garage. They bought a fanbelt and Belthezor fixed her car. He was
clearly quite annoyed with her and Arturo was close enough to hear him mutter
about paying auto club bills. Several times Arturo watched Belthezor drive the
witches to sites where they disposed of lower level demons with an efficiency,
Arturo could only admire. Once Belthezor saved the youngest witch by catching
her and forcing her to orb just before she was smothered by a flux demon. In
another demon fight Belthezor stayed back as the demons were vanquished but he
had some problem with the proceedings because he and the oldest of the three
sisters had what could only be described as no holds brawl as they insulted each
other for nearly ten minutes. Of
interest to Arturo was the witch reciting Belthezor’s history of murderous
intent. They drove off together with two sisters sitting in the back seat with
angry expressions on their faces and Belthezor’s witch in the front seat
putting her hand on his knee as he roared the car down an alley.
………………………………
During
the Arturo’s long hours watching the small mortal life of Belthezor and his
witch, Francesca occasionally joined him. She snorted derisively ”Belthezor
seems to have made himself part of the family.“
”You
don’t think this is good?” Arturo asked amused.
”No
I do not” Francesca said with more force than was necessary ”and you know
it. Its Belthezor, Arturo.
Belthezor betrays and the only way you betray is to create a bond, a trust with
your victims that you can shatter. Belthezor betrays Arturo and he dos it so
well.“
”I
know” said Arturo.
”Get
rid of him Arturo” Francesca said ”Get rid of him before he causes everyone
concerned more pain than they deserve.“
”I
can’t” Arturo said ”Not yet and you know it.“
”I
do” Francesca said ”But I had to ask.“
………………………………
On
Sunday, Arturo finally had a chance to observe Belthezor and his witch closely.
In the morning nothing happened but in the afternoon, the two left the manor.
She was dressed in a fashion that Arturo assumed was acceptable for young
women She wore tight red trousers that barely covered essentials. She had a
patterned blue top that left a gap of skin to the trousers and a scarlet jacket
that in Arturo’s view miss matched. Somehow or other the effect was quite
enchanting. Belthezor wore dark coloured trousers and a light casual fawn jacket
over a grey shirt. The witch had a large bag slung over her shoulder.
She
and Belthezor walked hand in hand to the end of the street where they waited
with some tourists at a cable tram stop. The
tram was full when it arrived. He found a seat for the witch but on the trip to
the bay he amused himself pretending to fall off the crowded tram. The little
witch became quite annoyed with him. At the tram terminal, the two walked still
holding hands walked to the bay. They turned along the shore to the flea market.
At
the entrance they stopped at an ice cream shop. Belthezor ordered a lemon and
vanilla ice cream and the witch ordered chocolate and vanilla chip.
Belthezor stopped the attendant getting it. A few minutes later she
ordered chocolate jaffa. Belthezor raised his eyes to the attendant as he changed the
order.
A
little later, arm in arm, the two walked through the flea market. The little
witch stopped at several places. Arturo watched her as she bought a few coloured
scarves, some earrings with decorations, and writing paper with a cow motives.
Cheap little trinkets.
The
two spent quite some time in the market walking through hand in hand. Belthezor
seemed quite happy to be there, only becoming impatient when the witch stopped
along time in a shop that announced itself as a pre loved clothing shop.
The
two finally left and wandered along the coast to a café. They sat at a table in
the open air. Belthezor ordered a latte and cappuccino and chocolate chip
muffin. He did not ask the witch what she wanted.
The waitress put the latte and muffin in front of the witch but Arturo
noticed without asking Belthezor
reached over and ate more than half of the muffin. The two stayed in the café
for 45 minutes. They held hands across the table several times but as Arturo
listened to their conversation, he was amused to notice how mundane it was. Once
the witch lowered her voice to use the word demon. They talked about an old
movie they had watched together. The
witch used the word sexist. They
talked about family and a few words about the new sister fitting in their lives.
Arturo noted that whilst Belthezor
seemed to want to touch the witch at every opportunity, neither seemed to flirt
or talk about sex.
The
two walked down the shore road. They
stopped at a second hand book store and there they separated. The little witch
chose two books with quite grotesque covers of women with large breasts and
almost no clothing. Arturo thought she was getting quite enough sex without
reading about it. The expression on
Belthezor’s face as he met her in an aisle and glance at her choices said the
same thing.
She put them in her bag after paying
for them. He did not offer to carry the bag.
After
the book shop, the little witch and Belthezor wandered along the pier, arm in
arm. At the end of the pier they stood watching the bay. He finally pulled her
to him and the two indulged in a very long kiss that was just within the limits
of what was publicly acceptable.
The
two wandered back along the pier, the little witch hanging onto Belthezor’s
arm. A little after seven, they
arrived at one of the seafood restaurants on the bay.
Arturo heard Belthezor ask the witch four or five . She guessed four as
they were shown to a table. Belthezor ordered a bottle of red wine
“Damn Leo” he said to the witch ”I want red. Water okay for you."
Some ten minutes later the witch’s older sister and her whitelighter husband
joined them. The witch’s sister looked at the wine and made a remark about
Belthezor’s taste in these things. Arturo heard the older sister snap that
Paige would not be caught dead dating with her family.
They talked comfortably and naturally.
The
two witches left to go to the bathroom. Arturo listened as Belthezor asked the
whitelighter whether he had felt anything unusual. Belthezor told the
whitelighter he had the feeling he was being watched all the time.
The whitelighter looked surprise ”Cole, you don’t have those powers
any more.“
Belthezor shrugged ”I feel I am
being watched. All this week. Are you sure you can’t feel anything?”
Arturo
wondered exactly what secrets Belthezor kept to himself, what demonic legacy was
lurking.
They
stayed a long time at the restaurant. The whitelighter and Belthezor’s witch
ordered desert. The witch ordered without asking her lover, lemon meringue pie.
Without asking her lover ate most of it.
After
the meal, all four caught a cable car then they walked up the street together,
all holding hands with their partner. Arturo watched as half way up the street
Belthezor caught his witch and pulled her in front of him saying Phoebe will
protect me. Her sister laughed. The
whitelighter muttered something about Cole being to scared of Piper to try and
argue and the little witch stooped and said she was not moving until he behaved.
Belthezor stopped. He leant over and removed the bag from her shoulder and put
it on his and then in a swift movement lifted her in a fireman’s lift over his
shoulder. He walked up the street
his witch protesting loudly slung over his shoulder talking with her sister and
his husband who had his arm around his wife, about possible demon attacks. None
of the four seemed to find the situation unusual.
Arturo
watched them enter the Manor, very certain of what he knew
………………………………
”Yes”
said Arturo helping himself to another wine” I am very certain. He’s very
good at making himself part of the family isn’t he? But he does have his
secrets”
Francesca
leant back against his chair, a relieved look on her face. ”I should be sorry. But I am not. I know that this must play out because as yet the time has
not come for you to act but I would love to say just kill him and be damned”
”I
would be if I killed him” Arturo
replied shortly ”I am very
certain Belthezor has turned.“
Francesca
came to her feet ”No” she breathed ”You
said yourself that you would not believe him if he came to the doors of heaven
on his knees.“
”I would not“
answered Arturo ”But he has not done that. In fact he seems to making a
real effort not to go running to anyone. He seems to saying in the bounds of his
own and I use this word deliberately family.“
Francesca
expression was one of complete cynicism. ”You and I have no gift of vision”
she said ”but we both know that the time arrives when the destiny of the old
Source is about to be decided and all the prophecies say that will be done by
The Charmed Ones. And” she added ”Belthezor, the Great Betrayer, the demon
reputed to be the most evil of all the half-breeds. The one who even demondom believe wants to be the new Source is
living in their house” she added with a snort “In human form Arturo. He even
let her destroy his demon half, to be more” and she sneered “human. And you
believe he has turned?”
”I
have been known to be wrong” Arturo answered.
Francesca
had to smile. In a thousand years, Arturo had been wrong…once. ”Are you
trying to tell me” she said shaking her head ”in the space of weeks
Belthezor has turned to the path of good, locked himself into a family and vowed
remorse for all his evil ways. Belthezor”
she snorted ”Belthezor,
Arturo.“ she said in quiet disbelief.
Arturo
smiled gently ”I would be wrong if that were the case, but it isn’t. I
watched Belthezor and whatever he has with that girl, it is not new.
She believes he has been love with her since the Triad sent him to kill
her. I think she is right. I’ve been in love” he said softly ”I know love.
Francesca, Belthezor is in love, he’s not Evil because Evil can’t love.
Those two were to sure of each others ways, they shared without asking,
they knew each others ideas. I never once saw them ask what the other wanted.
He’s in love Francesca, and I know a little about that.“
“Even
a year is not enough” Francesca protested, because of all the demons, they had
ever considered turning this was not the one.
Arturo
nodded ”As you say a year is not enough. I strongly suspect that Belthezor has
done what so very few others have. He has managed to hide what he was feeling so
well, for so long, neither Good nor Evil had any notion what he was about. And
only he will be able to tell us how long that is. You understand?”
Francesca
sitting on the balcony overlooking the Corinthian Gulf, in the sanctuary of a
very old demon who had long since turned to the light, understood. That if the
Great Betrayer, the demon of the century Belthezor walked away from demondom for
the love of a witch, he had achieved the ultimate act of betrayal. Because
somewhere in the life of this most evil of demons, some small quirk of fate had
changed his path. Because for him to fall in love with the witch he could not
have been evil incarnate when he met her.
”I
see no evidence of him having walked fire of his own making, facing the blackest
and most evil depths of his nature” Francesca said. ”He may just as easily
go the other way.“
”I
see no evidence either” said Arturo ”We can only watch and hope, and see
what happens when he finds the demonic power or they find him.“
”And
when hope fails” Francesca smiled. ”You are really convinced the answer is
he has turned.“
Arturo
shrugged and then nodded.
But
it was not to be. The Old Source knowing his prophesied end was near and that
prophesy said it would be at the hands of the Charmed Ones lost all wisdom in
his obsession to defeat the witches and on a day in late January he stole
the Hollow. And the mortal Cole Turner made his choice to consort with the demon
known as the Seer and take on the Hollow to save the witch that he loved.
Arturo
and Francesca watched as the Charmed Ones fulfilled their destiny, and
vanquished the old Source. At first nothing seemed to have changed, Belthezor
lived in the Manor house with his witch. They married.
All those whose business was the
battle between Good and Evil knew something was not right when the Charmed Ones
vanquished the Old Source, the rebellion the disruption to the underworld simply
failed to occur, they knew the story was not over.
And they found out far to late, that
as always, Belthezor kept his secrets, as he had been able to do for the 120 odd
years of his life, kept his secrets from those closest to him, those he served
and this time those who loved him, always kept his secrets and he did it again.
And
Arturo cursed, because he had been very certain that Belthezor loved the witch
and was not therefore evil, because demondom was right, there was no good soul,
no hidden desire to break away from his heritage, just the Great Betrayer
Belthezor doing what he did so well. Belthezor who ran from the underworld, used
his witch to find his humanity and found a way to great power to become the
Source and then as Destiny decreed, his witch and her sisters vanquished him.
Another half-breed demon who had a
chance to turn, but became overwhelmed with the power of their humanity and
failed.
There were times in his long life that
Arturo found it hard not hate Evil, not to hate the nature of evil, not to want
to give into his demonic nature and destroy it, to walk away from his calling,
his atonement and destroy all that caused his pain. Even after all this time.
………………………………
And that was that. Belthezor was gone
and Arturo had his work to do.
Francesca
returned a little after the time of the Great Immolation, to find Arturo seated
on his balcony leaning forward lost in thought only casually aware of the noises
of an early summer night in the hills of Greece. Arturo looked up as she orbed
in. His smile was grim as she sat on her usual seat
”It’s
a beautiful time of year” she said gently.
Yes”
he agreed.
They shared a silence. Finally
Francesca broke it to say quietly ”You have work to do.“
”Alas my dear” Arturo said still
staring into the darkness in front of him ”I don’t. I found nothing.“
”You’ve tried” she asked
concerned.
”I’ve tried” he said grimly.
”It isn’t there.“
”Where is it?” Francesca demanded.
”I have no gift of future or vision
of the past” Arturo answered with grim humour ”I don’t know. I ‘m
guessing but only guessing that the witches took it.“ The humour turned into
an almost demonic laugh. ”Perhaps it would be a …good idea if you went and
found out.“
Wordlessly Francesca orbed away. She
returned by the morning light to see Arturo quietly reading a very ancient book.
”Well” he said harshly.
”The witches took it” Francesca
replied.
”That is a complication” he said.
”Perhaps it was destiny” she said
a little hesitatingly.
”I don’t know” he answered
”but there are damned good reasons why Good and Evil fight in a centred realm
and stay away from the other’s domain.“
”The Seer called the Charmed Ones to
the underworld, as I understand it“ Francesca protested.
”Trite but true my dear” Arturo
said ”Two wrongs don’t make a right.“
”The balance” Francesca asked.
Arturo closed his eyes and called to
the Spirit winds. Some time later he said ”The balance is not right.“
”But” she said. She knew Arturo
well.
”It should be worse” he said
”What did they do with it?”
”The word was that it was
destroyed” Francesca answered.
”How?” he asked sharply.
”I have no vision of the past or
future, Arturo” she answered smarmily ”I don’t know.“
”Better you don’t have vision of
the past or future” he snapped ”As far as I can see those who do stupidly
and irresponsibly try to change the parts they don’t like and cause havoc.“
”No new Source” she asked.
”No he said ”and not likely at the
moment is it. It will take a while. We have .. time. ”
”And destiny does have a way of
finding its course” he said in matter of fact tone.
Francesca had known him a very long
time. ”I’m sorry Arturo” she said understanding.
”I know my dear, destiny fate Kismet
call it anything”. He turned away and walked to the balcony rail stray down
into the beautiful valley of pine and olive trees below then looked up to stare
at the blue water of the Gulf. ”I curse Belthezor Francesca” he said angrily
”I curse him. I had hope, for a little while I had hope. He was…just a
little like me. I thought perhaps there was a chance of an ending Francesca. Not
yet I know, but a chance. Sometime”.
She walked over and stood beside him,
her stated her eyes reflecting his pain.
”I hope to God wherever Belthezor
is, whatever hell he has fallen into, it is deep and he burns in agony.“
Arturo ground out ”Belthezor should have been able to find the courage
Francesca. Of all the ones I’ve seen he should have found the courage to walk
through the flame.“ Arturo suddenly calmed, denying his demonic heritage,
”But then again wherever he is, he probably has an easier road that if he
chose this destiny.“
Francesca stood her hand resting on
his. ”The Great Plan decrees there must be a balance Arturo. A Balance between
Good and Evil.“
Finally Arturo turned around and with
a smile that was purely the reflection of his human soul he said. ”Heresy
though it may be Just for once, it
would be…. nice" he laughed, “it would be nice to know some one found a
way for good to just win. For all
that is just and right to prevail, no battles, no consequences, no balance. Even
in a small way”
”Heresy to the Great Plan, though it
may be” Francesca smiled ”it would be nice just once for that to happen.
Even in a small way.“
…………………………………………………..