Chapter 4
Clary did not seem cheered by my confidence. She sat there with dull eyes, head hanging. “It doesn’t matter what happens now,” she said. “Everyone has betrayed me. I want to die.”
“Sorry, Clary, but I have to disagree with you on that. If there is anything I can do, anything, then you will not die.”
She laughed bitterly. “There is only one thing you are likely to do sitting in that chair, and I don’t have to say what it is.”
“Today when I was throwing away some things, I think I cast a spell. I don’t know what it means, but I think it brought me here. I was thinking about you and I said that poem again:
Though I am old with wandering
Through hollow lands and hilly lands
I will find out where she has gone,
And kiss her lips and take her hands….
And I felt something flow out of me when I said it. I think that is why I am here.”
“No, you are here because Bahrm set a trap and caught you in it. You should have hit him harder when you had the chance.”
“Where is that doofus anyway?”
“Doofus? What’s a doofus.”
“The guy with the hood covering the scull that I put a dent in.”
She gave a sad smile again. “Doofus. That sounds funny. I never thought of him like that before. He’s so serious and self-important that if I called him a doofus he might die of indignation.”
“There’s an idea! Now you’re thinking! Our situation isn’t hopeless! But Clary, what is our situation? What happened? How did you wind up here?”
Clary was silent for a while. Then she said, “It’s your fault in a way.”
She paused a moment. “It seems like from the moment you saw me as I got on that bus you have ruined everything for everyone…everyone but me.” Tears filled her eyes. “My mother, my teacher…she stole my blood.”
“But you’re still alive!”
“Of course. She didn’t want to kill me. She just wanted my power. But she didn’t know you had given me your blood. She wasn’t expecting it. Your blood is very potent.”
“Thank you.”
Again the sad simle. “She tried to take my blood when I was asleep and had a backlash when the power from yours hit. Not only did it knock her out, it also gave us away. Bahrm was there in no time.”
Clary paused again. “She wasn’t evil. She didn’t want to harm me. But she was desperate. Bahrm had stolen her husband’s blood. She and he had often shared blood, and so Bahrm had a weapon against her. Oh, she was strong. Bahrm was not going to overcome her directly. But he was younger, and strong, and she was sad and lonely. So she tried to take my blood to strengthen herself for a powerful blow. I don’t know why she didn’t ask. I loved her, I would have given it to her.”
“So what did Bahrm do?”
“He stole her blood too. She’s dead. He is now the most powerful sorcerer in the world. He wants to rule, not just the magic world but the normal world. And he can.”
I thought a bit. “But why is he bothering with us?”
“I don’t know for sure. He was going to take my blood too, but when he grabbed my arm, he seemed to get stung. You again, I think.”
“I didn’t know I had it in me.”
“You do, and lots of it. Anyway he thought a while, then said, ‘It seems that a bit more work is needed before I can proceed with my plans. But since he gave you his blood, there will be some link. Perhaps it will be strong enough.’ So then he went off, I guess to set his trap for you. And you fell into it and here you are.”
“Actually I didn’t fall into it. I walked into it.”
“What’s the difference, you’re here.”
“I knew it was there, I had a feeling there was something wrong. But I also had a feeling you were at the other end of it. That spell, you know. I felt both yes and no when I walked into the alley. And I felt you. I must say, though, the doofus has a rather lurid imagination.”
At that point the door opened and a hooded figure walked in. “Speak of the devil,” I said.
Bahrm walked over to me and smiled. “I know your branch. They are weak and sentimental. They will be dealt with soon. But first, the two of you.”
I was conscious of a nagging pain. I realized that my knee was hurting like anything. I guess I really had tripped when I was under the illusion spell. I wanted so much to reach down and rub it but the clamps prevented me.
Bahrm walked over to Clary. He grabbed a rope. He made some motions around himself with his hand, then released the clamps on her chair. Just before he threw the rope around her, she gave a gesture.
He laughed. “I didn’t even feel that,” he said. “Either you are a lot weaker, or I’m a whole lot stronger. And I can guess which.”
But she hadn’t directed it at him. She had managed to release the catches of the clamps on my chair.
I couldn’t stand it–I pulled my arm free and reached down under my trousers to rub my knee. My hand came away wet. I was bleeding! Surprise surprise, I hadn’t even fainted.
Bahrm was done with Clary and he turned to me. “Oh, very resourceful,” he said. “I don’t know how you did it, but you got loose. But there is nowhere for you to go.” He advanced towards me with rope.
“You can’t steal my blood,” I said.
“Such bravado! How will you stop me? You are helpless, a mere human.”
“You can’t steal what is given to you,” I said, and I slapped my hand, wet with blood, on his wrist.
He looked down at his wrist in surprise. His face twisted as if he were trying to decide what to do. Then he fell over.
The whole experience was worth it just to see the way Clary looked at me. Her face lit up like a spring day, and her eyes melted. “I can’t believe it,” she said. Then she said, “We had better hurry, I don’t know how long he will be out.”
I went over to her and untied her, and we went out the door and started down the stairs.
“Can you do anything?” I asked her.
“Nothing against him, even stunned as he is. He’s way too strong. Maybe I can get us out of here.”
“Clary, just to let you know, I had no idea what would happen when I gave him my blood. I was hoping, but….”
“You are amazing. Absolutely no training, no experience, and you’ve turned us all inside out.”
“Pure luck, believe me.”
“No, not pure,” she said, laughing.
We found ourselves in a large room, almost a ballroom. We saw no door. We chose a corridor that Clary felt might lead out of the house. After a while we came to a door and opened it, and walked out into a large garden.
It was, of course, the middle of the night. The garden was surrounded with a high wrought-iron fence.
“Drat,” said Clary. “I can’t get us out this way.”
We turned to go back in the house but as we did the door opened, and a hooded figure came out. “It’s the doofus,” I said.
Clary was backing away in fear. I backed up with her, more to keep her company than because I was afraid. I had a kind of certainty that there was no way Bahrm could possibly do anything to harm me. I had given him my blood.
Then, as I looked at him, I suddenly realized that I knew his name. “Eldon,” I thought.
Eldon. That would give me power over him. But then I realized that I had given him my blood, and so it would be … wrong–mean–traitorous to use his name against him.
I looked at Clary. I thought about her, how she had lost her parents, how she had gone to live in the big house with Laniah and Meltor (I seemed suddenly to know everyone’s name now).
She had been afraid at first, but had hidden her fear and stood bravely. Then they had complimented her and given her good things to eat, and comfortable clothes to wear and her own bed to sleep in. They had come to her when she cried at night and kissed her. She had come to love them and to be proud of her accomplishments in learning and doing for them.
Then I looked at Eldon. I realized that he, too, was an orphan. He had also stood fearful in the great house, had learned and grown there. But I saw that a bitter root had grown in his heart, a desire for mastery not knowledge. He was envious of everyone, even Clary, though he hid it.
He had lived a double life for many years and he was tired of it. Even in his murderous triumph there was a dullness of spirit. The excitement of conquest was what kept him going.
I realized that I knew him because I knew his name and because I had given him my blood. Yes, I could fight him. I might even be able to win, though because of my lack of experience that was not likely. But the real advantage I had was that I knew Eldon. I saw into his heart. I did not see goodness, but I saw humanity. I felt sorry for him.
He walked toward us. Power crackled around him as did anger. He glared at me. “You have annoyed me for the last time.”
I thought of a wisecrack reply to that but held it in. I was not here to fight any more. I was here to make peace.
He looked at Clary. “You first,” he said. He raised his hand.
That was his final mistake. He did not know his danger. If he attacked Clary I could stop him by taking his power for my own and using it against him.
But I still felt that was the wrong thing to do. I had given him my blood. I would be taking it back. That was wrong.
“Don’t take. Give,” came a thought from somewhere.
But to whom? Bahrm already had my power. I couldn’t give it to him.
Great Aunt Sarah. I could give it to her. She would know what to do with it. I said, “Great Aunt Sarah, I give this power to you.”
As the power came out from Bahrm to strike at Clary, I gave it to Great Aunt Sarah. Somehow she was ready. She took it and sent it…somewhere. I could feel it but I had no idea where it was going. But I knew it was going where it belonged.
Bahrm gave a cry of anguish as he felt his power depart. He could not stop the process; I had become tied in too deeply to his sources, and I knew his name. I gave and gave, and it all came out. He wilted, falling on his hands and knees, head down.
I turned to Clary. I could see that I had surprised her again. But there was no smile on her face, just anger. I realized that she was going to do something that would turn her spirit to darkness.
“No, Clary,” I said.
“He’s a murderous beast,” she said.
“He’s an old, broken man who has to live with what he’s done,” I said.
“He killed the people that raised him.”
“He was consumed by envy and bitterness. Let him find repentance.”
“I hate him.” She raised her hand to strike.
“Great Aunt Sarah,” I said, “here’s some more.” She was ready.
I gave Clary’s power to her as well and it went where Bahrm’s had gone. Clary looked at me with angry eyes.
Oh, well, I thought. It was nice while it lasted. “Sorry, Clary.”
She seemed to wilt as well. Then she collected herself and looked at me. “Your blood is very potent,” she said.
“I don’t think so, not any more,” I replied.
“That’s a relief,” she said.
Tears rose in my eyes. I love her, I thought. So I saved her and saved her and saved her. And now…she hates me.
I started walking back to the house. I opened the door and went in. It looked different now. There were no illusions and deceptions left.
I found the front door and walked out.
I was in a strange neighborhood but I soon found my way home. My dad’s car was out front. So was my mom’s car. Gee, I thought, they might even be in the house at the same time. Amazing. Wait a minute. It’s the middle of the night.
I went in and saw that everyone was still up. My mom, my dad and Great Aunt Sarah were all sitting there.
Great Aunt Sarah stood up slowly, my dad helping her. She came over to me and embraced me. “You are a fine boy!” she said. “You got it perfect, with no practice, no teaching and only a couple of clues.”
I laughed. A couple of clues. “Why did you have to be so mysterious?” I asked.
“Because your responses had to come from the heart. You had to give up everything and believe you were giving it up. If I had told you, you would have been giving up everything for the purpose of winning. But that’s not giving up everything.”
I didn’t get it. But I guess it all worked.
My dad came over and shook my hand. “I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks, dad.”
Mom hugged me, then she hugged my dad. This was looking very strange, almost like they were back together.
“Are you guys back together or something?” I asked.
“Yes, son, we are, if you don’t have any objections.”
“What happened?”
“Believe it or not, you happened. Great Aunt Sarah told us about what you were doing, and we both realized you were a great son, and we had both been so self-centered we hadn’t seen it. I told your mom I wanted to be back in your life. She said that she came with the package. I said that was fine with me. So here we are.”
“Well, that’s great,” I said. “Congratulations.”
I meant it, but there was still some heavy-heartedness in what I said.
Great Aunt Sarah said, “His sacrifice is not yet over.”
“The doof…I mean Bahrm mentioned my branch,” I said. “Are you my branch?”
“Yes,” said Great Aunt Sarah. “We are the branch that has given up power. We don’t use it. Power was the third temptation.”
“The third? What were the first two?”
“Desire of the flesh and desire of the eyes,” replied Great Aunt Sarah.
“Back to being mysterious, I see.”
“No, this is old lore. People have known about it for thousands of years.”
“Well, some of us aren’t that old.”
“Hah! Silly fool! Hah!” Great Aunt Sarah no longer had the lung capacity for a real laugh, but she did her best. “Keep taking up your cross, my young fool. It will all become clear.”
I was tired. I said, “Some of us have to be somewhere tomorrow. I’m going to sleep.”
For some reason everyone laughed.
“Son, I don’t care if you flunk every class,” my dad said. “After all, you did just save the world.”
I guess I hadn’t thought of it in those terms. I was just helping a lost girl who needed help….
The next day I went to school thinking, “Life is now back to normal.” Except my parents were back together. So I decided to go easy on the scratching post treatment. I even smiled when I saw my teachers in the hall and greeted them with some respect. And I didn’t get sent to the principal’s office.
When I got home, I went upstairs to do my homework. I had just settled down to begin when a dark-eyed, dark-haired face popped out of the bathroom. “Got a spare toothbrush?” the face asked.
“Anything for you,” I replied.