Chapter 37
I’m beginning to go round and round in circles. Three times this week I found myself in the street where the Spanish bar should be but I couldn’t find it. Which is all for the better really, why would I want to see one of THEM? The small deli near the cathedral is still closed which is kind of a relief as it saves me making the decision of whether to go in or not. I’m going to look for a flat of my own again, although Ralph doesn’t want to hear about it. But somehow it doesn’t feel right living with him.
I’m on one of my aimless wanderings through the streets when somebody approaches me. “Excuse me!” I look up, not wanting to talk to anybody, and freeze. I stare up into this face which I’ve so far only seen in my dreams. And in a broken mirror. “Livia?” he asks and I’m only able to nod. He’s taller than I remember, more athletic, impeccably dressed in a grey suit. His hair is darker, only shot through with grey, but then I’ve only seen him in the dark. Well, I mean, it was night in my dream. Suddenly I’m not so sure that it was a dream after all. I’m aware that I’m gawping at him like a moron but I can’t help it. He looks like a very handsome, well-off businessman, very human, but I know he’s not. Then I pull myself together.
“You’re Randolph, aren’t you?” Well done, although my voice is a bit shaky. What the hell does he want from me? The man smiles at me, his light brown eyes shining kindly.
“Don’t be afraid, I just want to talk to you. Do you have a minute, please?” Again very normal.
I have loads of time, but can I trust him? Or does he have another of those freaky mirrors in his pocket? “I just want you to listen to me,” he whispers. We’re in the middle of the city, surely nothing can happen to me here?
“Fine, just for a few minutes though,” I nod at him. He smiles broadly, looking even younger than before. I somehow imagined godfather-castle-owner Randolph to be rather ancient with a long white beard.
“Thanks, Livia, you won’t regret it. I know a small Spanish bar just round the corner…”
“No way!” I immediately interrupt him. Now the bar is obviously there again and I’m not that dumb to leave normal territory. “If you want to talk we’ll go to the coffee shop over there,” I declare resolutely. If he wants to meet me, then on my terms. His amber eyes are twinkling in amusement.
“As you wish. You obviously know the Spanish bar already.” I shrug, leading the way across the street and into the coffee shop.
By the time we’ve both ordered a Cappuccino, I’ve regained my composure. “So what do you want?” I ask him rather rudely. He runs his hand through his short hair, looking straight at me.
“I wanted to see you, meet you. You’re the reason my family is in complete disarray at the moment and I want to know – to see – the reason. Tell me, why have you turned your back on them?” I’m so surprised at his absurd question that I laugh out loud.
“You can’t be serious! I left because something’s going on with you that’s not normal,” I hiss in a low voice. If anybody overhears me, they’ll commit me. “You’re definitely not human, you’re an Arash!” My outburst doesn’t seem to rattle Randolph at all. He stirs his coffee, smiling calmly.
“Ah, you already know our name but you don’t seem to know what we are exactly. My family obviously didn’t do a good job. They waited too long to tell you, so you were already suspicious and figured out some half-truths yourself.” I shrug, thinking how weird this conversation is.
“It wouldn’t have made any difference if they’d told me sooner, I’d just have left sooner, too. I’ve been an outsider all my life, you know, I couldn’t bear being a freak as well,” I say bluntly. Randolph laughs at my words, not in the least offended.
“You see, that’s the problem with half-truths: we’re definitely not freaks, we’re immortals, sons and daughters of the falling stars.” Yeah, right, immortals. I pull a face, that’s news to me. Here’s this man in his nice suit, drinking coffee, claiming to be an immortal. I open my mouth to utter a snide remark, but he stops me, raising his hand. “Let me finish, please! I was born in 1106 when the Great Comet passed by the earth. About forty years later I was changed into an Arash by a family of Arash from whom I split many years afterwards. The reasons are immaterial, I don’t want to get lost in details.” He clears his throat awkwardly, obviously surprised that I don’t interrupt him. But I wouldn’t know where to begin, it’s just a fairy tale to me. “It’s not the way it’s done but I’ll fast-track my explanations. The first essential condition for becoming an Arash is to be born on a day when a comet passes the earth. Cassius for example was born under the comet Tewfik on 19th May 1882.” My head starts spinning and part of me just wants to get out of here, away from this weird man. But there’s another part that is intrigued. Even if I don’t believe Randolph, I want to hear the story now. “These people carry the potential to become an Arash inside them,” he continues.
“So I do too?” I ask, eyebrows raised. Randolph nods, taking a sip of his cappuccino.
“Yes, you were born under the comet 110P/Hartley 3.” Never heard of that one! But some memory is stirring in my brain and I suddenly recall Natalie’s calendar entry. “I must admit, it’s not an important one, but a comet nevertheless,” Randolph continues. “If one of these people gets selected by an Arash family – unanimously, mind you – and he agrees to join them of his own free will, then we turn him into an Arash on the date of the next lunar eclipse.”
“Well, that sounds rather excessive!” I exclaim in surprise, deciding to join in this game. “There have to be thousands by now!” Randolph watches me carefully, his eyes full of amusement. Obviously he’s trying to decide whether I’m taking him seriously or not.
“You’re wrong of course. We only start to look for a new family member when we get the sign.” It’s getting more mysterious by the minute.
“What sign?” I decide that his story would make a great film.
“It’s a different one for every family. It could be found in a book, or in the sky, really anywhere,” he explains. “I’m a scientist, Livia, a physicist, to be precise. So our sign appears in the camera obscura.” I’ve heard of that one, it really does exist. “When I first experimented with it, my shadow was visible in there. But one day a second shadow appeared and I realised this was my sign. So I started to search and in 1610 I finally found Augustus. The next one was Will, then Rupert. In Cassius’ case we searched for quite a long time, Will finally found him, and I myself stumbled upon Ruth. Natalie’s the baby of the family, just twenty years with us. And now, a few months ago, another shadow appeared and my family started what’s called the shadow hunt.” He looks at me suggestively and I know what he means.
“No way, it’s definitely not my shadow, Randolph. Even if I believed you I couldn’t do it.” Nervously I pick my napkin to pieces. His piercing eyes never leave my face. “I couldn’t be some kind of ghost without a shadow, no offence.” I can’t believe I even said this. At this moment he takes my hand and I shrink back. His hand is warm and strong.