All Souls

October 28 - The Arrow Star Hall, Paquin

"And it is All Souls' Night,
And two long glasses brimmed with muscatel
Bubble upon the table. A ghost may come;
For it is a ghost's right,
His element is so fine
Being sharpened by his death,
To drink from the wine-breath
While our gross palates drink from the whole wine."
- W.B. Yeats

---



Although the holiday was three days away, tonight was the Hallowe'en Party at the Arrow Star Hall. Ceasar and I had managed to secure tickets for this exclusive gala. Unfortunately, at the last minute Ceasar was called in to work. That meant I was either staying home or going alone.



I wore the gown that the Consurali Jai Raghilda had made for me. The reception for which it was intended had not materialized. I had my hair done earlier in the day. A black fox fur stole wrapped around my shoulders, black opera gloves, and a red domino mask completed my ensemble.

This felt like my first night off in years. Time spent in quarantine doesn't really count.



The Arrow Star Hall was designed in the oriental style. It was made of teak, hand carved and accented with brass ornament. A fountain graced the inner courtyard.



The dance hall itself occupied the entire west wing. A stage sat in one corner. Doors on the far wall opened to the gardens. A corridor to the left led to the east wing of the building.



It seemed all of high society was represented. The Companions of Paquin were there, each on the arm of a prominent politician or celebrity. The Reverend Mother of Araxes and her consort made an appearance, much to the delight of the crowd.

Svetlana Pleiades was also present. She had fashioned herself into some kind of Czarina these days. She didn't notice me. Maybe it was the mask.

She was using her own name again, even with the threats on her life and after we had provided her with a new identity as part of a plea bargain. She would not be the first person in witness relocation to revert to an old identity. The pull from the past is too great.

You can't escape who you are.

---

I danced a little bit. I caught the attention of a large robotic spider that seemed intent on following me across the dance floor.



The hall filled with fashionably late arrivals. The hostess of the event gave tarot readings to interested guests. Laughing couples went off to be alone in secret places.



As I watched, I felt a strange disquiet, of being out of sync with the merriment. I put it down to being there without Ceasar.

The robot spider had moved on, leaving me alone once again. I wandered down the hallway stopping only to nibble on the canapes set out on a long table.




The east wing of the building was divided into two floors. On the lower floor, a well stocked bar occupied the south wall. A small lounge complete with piano was tucked away on the other side. On the far wall, near the stairs, was another door leading outside.



I rested briefly in the lounge then headed upstairs to explore.

---

At the top of the stairs, I found a comfortable little room. Attractive art. Furniture the colour of thick cream.




There was a small library against one wall. A stack of books next to a chair had been carelessly knocked over then abandoned for some other pursuit.



The lights in the hallway were off. I did not think to look for a switch. Instead I walked forward, drawn by a sliver of light from underneath a door to another room.

I pushed the door open to reveal a small theatre.

On the wooden floor lay the body of a man.



He was partially clothed and covered with a small rug. There was blood on the rug and on the floor. A knife lay close to his hand.

I sighed heavily.

This was supposed to be my night off.

----