Visitors and Stories

Chapter 10

“Mr. Abreu Melo da Silva is here, sir,” the soft and educated voice of the maid whispered near Orion's ear.

“Send him away,” the man answered without lifting his gaze from the book he was reading.

“The gentleman is very persistent, sir,” the maid insisted.

Loudly huffing, Koiranos rose from his chair and walked to the door, decided to expel the man from his house.

Julian already sensing the approaching storm, preferred to keep his eyes glued to the pages he was reading. It was none of his business and he was happy with the last two days spent in bed.

Nevertheless the visitor's name rang a bell.

He faintly heard Orion's voice shout something in Portuguese and he rose from the chair, alarmed that his tone forewarned nothing good for the visitor now openly shouting his lover. Without knowing why, he walked towards the source of the shouts and pushed the library's doors open.

Koiranos seemed to be enraged and his eyes shone in a way Julian had never seen before.

“Oliver,” Julian recognized the man. “What a surprise.” he added softly as the man looked at him dumbfounded. “We met years ago. In Madrid.”

“Yes, of course,” Oliver added with sufficiency as he extended his hand with practised ease to the unknown young man, still clueless about him.

“Do you know him?” Koiranos barked and Julian nodded.

“Briefly. We met just before I moved to Portugal. Oliver told me Sintra was a good place to be. His family comes also from there, too. In a way, he convinced me to change my lifestyle.” Julian said and withstood the penetrating examination Orion's eyes seemed to do to his face. “He was the first person to speak to me with the truth, although I didn't know it at the time.”

“Fine,” he finally growled. “Sit and I'll hear this man.”

Julian walked to the farthest chair in the darkest corner while Orion took the largest sofa and sat without removing his eyes from the man, humbly standing in front of him. The youth felt his heart rush as for the first time he was about to see what his lover used to do or why all the proud men and women he had seen at his house never looked at him in the face.

“I am most obliged to you, Sire,” Oliver said.

“Thank the Guardian who has allowed you to speak,” Koiranos huffed and Oliver immediately nodded at Julian.

“My superior seeks your advice on a matter of the most importance, sir,” Oliver said. “He will meet with you at your convenience.”

“I have spoken my mind, messenger. No.”

“You have helped us so many times in the past, Lord Koiranos.”

“I have no further interest in your worldly affairs, sir.”

“It is most urgent that we see you. You must help us to overcome this situation.”

“The situation you are referring to it's nothing else but your responsibility. I warned you against the decisions you wanted to make yet you didn't hear me. I am not responsible for your deeds.”

“I beg you, Lord Koiranos. Never before we have faced so many challenges at the same time.”

“I have lost count of how many times mankind faced extinction, yet we are still here,” Koiranos said tiredly. “If you fall, another will rise. There is nothing else I can do.

“Just enlighten us, sir. We take full responsibility of our acts, but if you only would show us the way, the possible outcomes of what we want to do...”

“All of them are doomed. Understand this. It is too late to change anything.”

“Only one meeting, sir.” Oliver pleaded and Julian felt moved.

“Was he a good man to you?” Koiranos surprised Julian with his question.

“Yes, he was. Before I met him, I was nobody. His words were harsh but he forced me to wake up from the slumber we live in and leave everything behind,” he said slowly, surprised at the unwitting chose of words.

“Did he tell you to go to Sintra?”

“No, he only spoke about the place and I thought it would be the perfect place to be. It was just a coincidence.”

“There are no coincidences in this life. Only silver threads that entwine themselves at the universe's will. We can only see them and follow them.”

Julian didn't know what to say and kept silent.

“The weave is so dense that we are lost,” Oliver said softly. “Many threads are getting weaker and weaker that we don't know which one to follow.”

“If you were the man who sent the Guardian to us, I'm indebted to you,” Orion said. “Tell your masters I will see only one of them in two weeks time.”

“We are ...”

“Time is nothing, messenger,” Orion shut the man's protests. “Two weeks. That will give you sufficient time to leave your masters before they betray you and place the blame of their actions on you. Go away as far as you can. The dream you believed in does not exist any longer and only the vultures remain. Julian will show you to the door.”

Julian jumped to his feet, confused but knowing that he was supposed to take the man out. “This way, sir,” he said softly as he pulled the petrified man.

With ease Julian ordered the maid to bring the man's coat as his eyes still seemed to speak with himself.

“And I always thought I was unforgettable,” Julian sighed with a false sadness. “Should return to write and update my Instant-YOU account,” he chortled at Oliver's shocked face.

“You are the boy from the cloak room?” he finally recognized him.

“The same. Found a job suitable for my “little talent”. I never thanked you for the clothes and the haircut.”

“I...”

“I moved to Sintra after I met you and looked after Mr. Koiranos' dog. Even went to school and got a degree by reading many books. I'm not spelling-challenged anymore,” he said with a playful smile. “No Facebook and Julian becomes a serious man,” he chuckled. “Lord, was I ever that person?” he asked to nobody in particular.

“Are you really the Guardian?” Oliver blurted out.

“Yes, I am. Guardian sounds better than dog-sitter. Lýkos is a dear.”

“Do you really look after that beast?”

“His character has improved a lot. I guess, I'll see you in two weeks,” he said as he saw the maid returning with the cloak. He took it from her hands and dismissed her with a slight move of his head as he shook it as he used to do when he was the cloak boy so many years ago.

“I can't believe it,” Oliver mused as he closed the buttons. “You are the Guardian...”

Julian chuckled amused. “Yes, but I'm not longer available,” he rose his eyebrow.

“No, no, I would have never dared to ask you this,” Oliver said fearfully. “Forget all about me. I'm glad everything turned out so well for you.”

“Yes, it did.” Julian opened the door.

“You've got no idea who Koiranos is, right?” Oliver realized suddenly.

“He's more than my employer now,” Julian answered softly and Oliver's eyes widened. “I'll see you in two weeks time then.”

“No, you will never see me again. I'm passing the message as he ordered me and will leave all this shit behind, just as he told me to do. Jesus, I can't believe he spoke to me,” he repeated again. “It's such an honour.”

“Are you going away just because he told you to?”

“I have seen what happens if you don't follow his advice,” Oliver retorted hotly, somewhat obfuscated Orion's advise held so little value for Julian. “I don't want to be in the middle of the storm when everything breaks loose. It is as he says. Everything is falling apart and nobody will move a finger for me. I'm nothing but a servant for them.

“Where do you work?” Julian asked, thinking that the visitor was weirder than his own love.

“European Union,” he answered before he closed the door by himself.

“Weird,” mumbled Julian as he walked back to the library.

Koiranos had not moved from his place and his eyes were fixed on him the minute he entered in the room. Knowing that his lover must had already guessed the nature of his relationship with Oliver, Julian walked towards him and crouched in front of him, burying his head in his thighs.

The man's large hand caressed his hair and the boy closed the eyes in content. “He's nobody,” he whispered. “I was never so happy with someone like I'm with with you.”

“When did you meet him?”

“Eons ago,” joked Julian, relieved that Orion showed no jealousy signs, only a brief curiosity about Oliver. “When my hair was white, I brushed coats for a living and dated idiots along with many other things I don't want to remember.”

“Your hair was white?” He asked genuinely shocked for the first time.

“Silver-white. Long story. Yes, it was white and almost waist-long,” Julian chuckled at the memory. “I wanted to be noticed. I don't know why I did it.”

“That colour suited you more,” Koiranos said. “I always suspected you were always a moon-child.”

Julian chuckled at the words. “Such things you say. My grandmother was always telling that I lived in the moon... or at least came from there. I was the total opposite to my family and looked like none of them. Some neighbours asked me if I was adopted even, but no, my mother would have never taken an extra burden. She was not even knowing she was pregnant till the fifth month.”

“Was it like this?” Koiranos inquired.

“Seems that counting up to thirty was a lost art for her. Or maybe she did and forgot to write down the dates. Anyway, it was too late to get rid of me when she found it out,” Julian said.

“Did she ever tell you anything about your father?”

“Only that he was good-looking, tall, very blond with large blue eyes, not speaking much and working in the fields with her. He showed up one day, had his adventure and moved on to the next,” he said sourly. “She said she never saw a man as handsome as he, but knowing her anyone would have done the trick.”

“Moon warriors were always known for being beautiful and deadly people,” Orion mumbled to himself.

“What?”

“It's an old forgotten legend. At the dawn of time, the Moon and the Sun were brothers and quarrelled over which one of them would court the Earth and her children in order to become her husband. The Sun was a young, full of life, attractive male while the Moon had the looks of an old and wise male. The Sun gave men the fire and the metals and the Moon showed them the silver and the art of hunting. As fire and metals were better gifts for her children, the Earth chose the Sun to be her companion.

“The Moon was very disappointed with her choice, but he said nothing. Seeing his sadness, the Earth wanted to compensate him and offered to give life to any creature he would create. The Moon created some young men to be his people as he foresaw that he would have no offsprings like the Sun and the Earth would. He didn't create females as he was hurt by the Earth's rejection and distrusted women with all his heart. The men he created were more beautiful than normal men, did not grow old, were the best hunters ever seen, and could speak with the beasts.

“Bound by her promise, the Earth gave them the breath of life, although she was jealous the Moon's children were far more beautiful than her own children. And men and women preferred them over their own. So much that they forgot about their families.

“The Sun and the Earth became so jealous and furious that they attacked the Moon warriors and almost wiped them out in one single day. Some humans helped them to hide in caves and protected them until their father could save them. The Moon took his few remaining sons away and swore never to let them come back to this world. He also swore to revenge his fallen children and sent disease and death upon mankind. He also took away all the gifts he had given to humans, and they starved as they couldn't hunt any longer or understand the animals any more. Men were forced to eat from the soil as if they were mere beasts.

“And men hated the Moon as he had punished them for obeying the Sun and the Mother Earth. They turned their backs to him and the night and the moon were associated to all evils. His name was forgotten and replaced by a female deity.

Yet the Moon didn't forget about the few men who had helped his sons. As a present, he spared them from all diseases and death shall not see them. He gave them magical powers and the ability to understand animals. He also told them to keep themselves apart from other humans as they would fear them.”

“What happened to the remaining sons of the Moon?”

“Their father forbade them to ever come back to the earth, yet they miss it. From time to time, they escape from their father's vigilance to live with the humans and have children with them. It's not easy for them to do it, but like all children, they never stay where they are supposed to stay,” Orion said with a playful smile. “They cannot escape their father for long and he always returns them to his castle. It is said that their babies are called moon-children and can only be born if there's a total sun eclipse, otherwise the Sun would kill them.”

“Why did the Moon gave men silver? It's not as precious as gold,” Julian asked.

“Silver is an antimicrobial and is the best conductor of electricity and heat. Eating with a “silverware” could mean the difference between life and death. Silver is incorruptible.”

“It is a sad story indeed. From which lore is it? I don't recall ever reading something like this.”

“It's very old and forgotten. Probably it was born in Anatolia, but I'm not sure.”

“I remember the Sumerian had a moon-god, Nanna,” Julian said. “Strange as moon cycles could be more easily associated to women periods.”

“The story is older than the Sumerian people. The Moon is the light that breaks the darkness. Magic and divinatory powers were associated to him.”

Julian said nothing and became pensive for a long time. He sneezed violently and Orion watched him amused.

“Well, we can forget about the no-diseases part,” Julian said as he sneezed. “Understanding Lýkos fine. As for hunting, I was good at catching the cockroaches at home. The silver-white hair came from the dyeing canister and the vanishing father was a guy clever enough as not to stay long enough as to pay pension. Nevertheless, it's a beautiful story.”

“Yes, it is.”

“Should we go out tonight?” suggested Julian.

“The Louvre is open till ten tonight.”

“Again?”

“Why not?”

“With the metro?”

“Always.”

“All right,” sighed Julian, “but I want to walk home. It's our last night in Paris and I want to see it under the moonlight.”

* * *

“Where on earth did you get such a thing?” Orion almost yelled when he saw Julian typing enthusiastically in his old smartphone.

“I'm just Googling,” he answered irked. “You can't tell me a story like the one you told tonight and then expect me to forget all about it.”

“I'm allergic to these things!” Orion tore the phone from the boy's hand to throw it out of the main bedroom, breaking it down in a thousand pieces.

“If you were really allergic to it, you would be rolling in pain on the floor!” Julian yelled watching the plastic debris in total disbelief. “You're such an hypochondriac!”

“I've been suffering from headaches since we arrived! There is the cause! You know I can't stand mobile phones.”

“No, I don't. I was informed that you didn't like cell phones and much less people using them, telling all about the super secret things you do,” Julian pointed out, harsher than he had intended. “You have internet at home now!”

“With a cable! In one computer and as far away from me as possible!” Orion shouted back. “If you want to use that thing, go somewhere else! Read a book!”

“To order a book you need to know what I'm looking for. A slight idea about the subject. Googling saves you a lot of time.”

“What's Googling? We are in the bedroom, not in a library”

Julian let a long sigh out. “Years ago, in the nineties to be precise, so you were born at that time, two very clever men in Sillicon Valley, California, found the right mathematical formula to invent a search engine for the web. They called it Google. Since that time, index cards want to move to the Louvre.” Orion looked at Julian expectantly, hoping him to elaborate further. “I only had one single Anthropology class, so I have no idea how to look for this. I wanted to look for a reliable source of the story you told me. It's intriguing and in a way it seems to depict albino people. For some reason I don't know, albinos are considered as dangerous people for many African peoples or they harbour magical powers that can be stolen. I just wanted to see if there was a connection between these beliefs and the story.”

“Moon children are not albinos.”

“It's just a working hypothesis,” Julian answered. “If the story were true, then many characteristics of Albinism could had been the basis for this tale. I think there are not many studies on that.”

“As I said, the story did not originated in Africa. Anatolia is in Turkey.”

“There goes my theory then. What is the name of this myth?”

“It has no name neither it is a myth,” Orion answered upset.

“Where did you hear it?”

“I... My father told it to me.”

“Was he from Turkey?”

“No, we all were born here. I only said the people in Anatolia were the first who started to tell it.”

“The little notes you leave everywhere look very much like the Georgian alphabet. Where you living there?”

“I can't speak Georgian, Julian.”

“So, what are they?”

“Ramblings. Nobody can read them. A secret code if you need to know it.”

“Is it not too much?”

“Your questioning is too much,” Orion barked and turned around to switch his light off and sleep.

But the many years spent on the noble art of trolling on the web had endowed Julian with patience and tenacity. Everybody knew that if you shared the bed with someone, then you were entitled to get answers from your partner. It was one of those new unwritten natural laws.

“I was just curious about it. Forgive me if I bothered you,” he said softly. “I didn't want to harass you.”

“It's all right. Forget it,” Orion mumbled and Julian laughed to lace his arm around his lover's waist, to cosset him more.

“Not every day I'm compared with a Selenite,” he said softly. “That was the nicest thing anybody ever told me.”

“You're not a Selenite. I only said you looked like one,” Orion replied, turning around just to glimpse in the darkness Julian's disappointed face. “Maybe, the child of the child of the child of one Moon warrior escaped centuries ago.”

“And you, with your red hair are quite the son of the Earth and Sun.”

“Like all humans; a mix of the three of them.”

“Why did you get such a name? Orion, the hunter?”

“I like it.”

“It's not an usual one. Did your parents like mythology a lot?”

“Why did you get yours?”

“My mother liked a soap operas actor named like that and I got it. Could have been worse.”

“Likewise.”

“You have to admit that sometimes you behave like a caveman,” Julian joked. “Only meat and a few greens. I'm expecting you to come home any day carrying a dead game on your shoulder.”

“Grains are for birds and and cows,” Orion said sullenly.

“Agriculture gave birth to civilization.”

“Not so. There were civilizations before humans decided to turn into grain-eaters sheep, giving up freedom and self-determination.”

“Name one,” Julian challenged him with an impossible foe. “A real one, not a settlement in a cave.”

“Gobekli Tepe. Dated as a Paleolithic temple and over 9.000 years old. No signs of domesticated plants or animals and a social structure far more complex than what should had been expected from a group of primitive hunter-gatherers with no knowledge of agriculture or writing. There you have something to read about. It's in Anatolia too,” Orion answered sarcastically. “Not found yet doesn't mean it doesn't exist.”

“Fine, you win,” Julian accepted his defeat. “But you can't deny that's a funny story.”

“It's just a forgotten tale. Nothing else.”

“But it would have been nice it to be true. Like Troy before Schliemann.”

“It is not.”

“I wonder about the men who were rewarded by the Moon. They should be like half-gods.”

“They were not subjected to disease or death and received magical powers. That hardly qualifies for divinity.”

“Immortal Shamans then.” Julian was a bit irked with the permanent corrections to his ideas as Orion was getting more and more lost in his own world of musings.

“It's not necessarily so. They can die if they choose so. I think nobody would like to last for so long. Everything you know withers and dies. Everything changes around you, but you don't. They could see through time, yet were unable to modify the future. For the rest of mankind, they must have looked as sorcerers. They must have been utterly alone.”

“But they had all the time in the world to know everything,” Julian said. “That's quite an opportunity. I would have liked to learn it all.”

“And then? What would you do once you know all what is to know?”

“That's not a valid question because the universe is infinite. There will always something new to know,” answered Julian and turned around to sleep, tired of the long conversation. “But it's not as if we ever had the choice, right?”

“No, fortunately for mankind, ordinary men never had to face such a question.”

“Fortunately for us we are in bed and not in the Greek fore, ready to get depressed with philosophical ramblings.” Julian kissed Orion in the face as the man returned his affections, glad to have his mind away from the past.