CHAPTER 22 – RED DIAMONDS AND FEAR

Sindy Blazer, this evenings Queen of the Night and Society Editor for The Times, reached the last step of the Stairway to Heaven at the gala opening night of The Majesty and Curse of the Monforte Family Jewels at the Museo de la Vida Secundo. She had succeeded. She had shown them. Big Time! Now she faced the inevitable denouement followed by the self doubts, the wrapping up of loose ends, and the usual pile of broken egos, crushed self esteem, and belittling snickers. Not for Sindy of course, but for her forlorn rivals in the womanly arts and crafts.

Some semblance of order and gaiety had resumed in the exhibition hall. The jazz band had resumed its medley. They were playing ‘Jealousy’, ‘All or Nothing at All”, and “But Not for Me”.

Appropriate choice of music thought Chris Llanfar. He wondered if the medley had been arranged as carefully as Sindy’s entrance to the resounding performance by the Drum and Bugle Corps of the School for Wayward Girls. Unbeknownst to him, it hadn’t been.

As Sindy stepped onto the faux concrete floor a space opened up around her. The gay crowd seemed to fear approaching the Queen of the Night. Sindy was like a drop of machine oil floating on a still pond. She radiated shining light and forced her own space to open around her.

Chris decided to break the oil slick and approached Sindy with a fatherly smile. “That was one heck of an entrance Sindy.”

Sindy smiled a thin smile of repressed hilarity and one-ups-womanship but said nothing. She gave a backhand wave to the Cerberus Club of the old school – Plumblossom, Panscake-Fernmot, and that Ashley Plantegent-Plantegent. Sissy Plumblossom was holding her head between her knees and didn’t notice, but Ashley and Melody did. They couldn’t help it because Sissy Talbot was laughing hysterically at them. Not with them, but at them and in their faces.

Sindy, turned to Sissy and said “Ta, ta, ta,” as if to admonish Sissy Talbot. But Talbot knew the real meaning of “Ta, ta, ta.” The insult was deep, bitter, and Sissy knew it was deserved.

Sindy turned to Chris. “Nice tux,” she said.

Chris said, “Id like to be the first to congratulate you on your new position …”

“Ahhhnggg, sniffle, gnoooktss,” interrupted Bradford Cananticle Monforte IV, Royal, Dauphan of Second Life, Associate Professor, famed historian, and Head of Anti-Monarchist Party.

God thought Chris this is really amazing. Monfortes never approached anyone. People approached them, and stayed at a great distance for hours or even days until summoned.

Chris and Sindy paused for what they knew would be a long wait as Bradford Cananticle Monforte IV, Royal, Dauphan of Second Life, Associate Professor, famed historian, and Head of Anti-Monarchist Party, formed his carefully chosen words before uttering them in the barely comprehensible tongue of the old language. Sindy took the time to review her mental notes on all the magnificent jewels on display at the exhibition. Chris used the time to carefully review Sindy’s magnificent cleavage and the Broche of the Worm Oboros deftly drawing attention to one of Sindy’s many ‘bankable’ assets.

To their surprise Bradford Cananticle Monforte IV, Royal, Dauphan of Second Life, Associate Professor, famed historian, and Head of Anti-Monarchist Party, began to speak. “Msss Sindys, Queenf of ta Nights, Mays I shows yous the jewellf of mys Familliee.”

Sindy was stunned, and before she could think of an appropriate answer, her mouth said, “I would be most pleased, your Majesty.”

Moving faster than anyone would think possible, Bradford Cananticle Monforte IV, Royal, Dauphan of Second Life, Associate Professor, famed historian, and Head of Anti-Monarchist Party, took Sindy’s arm and approached the first of the glass and lead display cases – it was the Crown of the Monforte Dynasty.

Prissy Plumblossem vomited softly.

Sindy and Bradford Cananticle Monforte IV, Royal, Dauphan of Second Life, Associate Professor, famed historian, and Head of Anti-Monarchist Party, stood before the magnificent crown and the most amazing jewel Sindy had ever seen, the Cote de Noir.

“Your majesty, its lovely, the Crown of the Monfortes, just lovely”, lied Sindy. The jewels were not lovely, they were…, there were no words in Sindy’s huge journalists vocabulary to describe the magnificence arrayed before her. Sindy was for the second time in her life at a loss for words. The first time having been her first roll in the hay with little Taffy Dunst when she discovered what little boys were all about.

“Pleasf calls mes ‘muffin’,” cooed Bradford Cananticle Monforte IV, Royal, Dauphan of Second Life, Associate Professor, famed historian, and Head of Anti-Monarchist Party.

“Yes, your Majesty. I mean muffin,” said Sindy.

Muffin smiled and said, “Thiss iss tas Crowns of Myf Familiee”, as he motioned toward the sparkeling crown. “Thats little dents theres…” he pointed to a small dent in the platinum and gold filigree where a few stones were missing. Probably only 10 or so carrots of yellow diamonds thought Sindy. Muffin continued with a little chuckle, “Thats dents wasf caussed bys little Sluggers Monforte whens hes wass 8 ans hits a line drives ins Pi Ball ands its hitts his fatherf, ta Kings, ol “Suckers Punches” Monforte ins 965 BSL” Sindy did a quick calculation, 965 Before Second Life had to be almost a thousand years ago.

“He must have been a little devil,” replied Sindy.

“Yesf yesf,” replied Muffin “bashed withs ta Mace of Monfortes, hes did, that littles Slugger, ninty threes times on ols Suckers Punchs headf, in thes Successons of Fits in 968 BLS.” Muffin chuckled again.

Muffin again took Sindy’s arm and strolled to the next case, which contained the astonishing Mace of the Monforte’s. Sindy spied tiny wisps’ of hair or fir on the hammer part of the mace, which was faced in tiny emeralds with a center striking surface composed of a single 90 carrot red diamond, Its cut stunning, its carrot amazing, but its clarity marred by a flaw, a tiny crack, and a smudge of some kind.

Muffin said “Slugger got hims good,” then he chuckled a wheezy monarchial chuckle.

Sindy decided not to say anything, except “My, my how fascinating.” The Monforte’s were probably the only family in all of Second Life to play Pi Ball with a billion linden jewel encrusted bat.

“With your permission your Majesty, may I inform Ms Sindy of our recommendation,” interjected The Chair. Only The Chair could interrupt Muffin, they were school chums and always spoke on a first name basis, but this was a formal moment, so he chose Majesty and not Muffin.

“Whys, pleasf doos,” responded Muffin.

“Sindy, we are recommending to the Board of The Times that you be appointed acting Executive Editor of the august journal, until such time as Ruprecht can return to his duties. I do hope you will accept.” Said The Chair.

Muffin smiled.

Sindy’s heart sank like a lead plumb line thrown from a sunken ship by a dead hand. She began to shake and tremble.

“Ms Sindy, are you all right?” asked The Chair.

“Ill be all right,” she said. It was a lie. “Give me a moment, to catch my breath. This is such a surprise and I am so grateful.” That was the second and third lie.

Her mind returned to that dreadful and frightening night several weeks ago and her meeting in the Red Room with Major Minor and the Mother Superior Adel Flossberg. Adel had told her she would be given this position and that she, Sindy, would accept it. The Order, that cursed Order, they had arranged everything. The assassination attempt on Murdstone, the meeting in the Red Room, the disappearance of Funstas, the recommendation to the Board of Directors of The Times, and now Sindy knew they had carefully arranged her future as well.

She remembered the chilling words of the Mother Superior as they parted.

“Life in Second Life is but a brief flicker. A soul that suffers in the agonies of Hades, lasts for eternity,” Adel Flossberg had said.

Sindy was now afraid. Terribly afraid. Afraid for her soul. Her only salvation lay in obedience to the Order of the Bloody Stain of Saint Hymenos the Benighted - Mothers of Earth Druids. Not the Order which claimed to have been reformed. But the real order. The order of the Ancient Priestess who’s name could not be mentioned. The order of bloody sacrifice and fire.