The Peacock 1647

The four comfy chairs in the back are all available and Stella has pulled up another chair she has conveniently robbed from the next table and now she sits, towering over us like a queen. "This is a lovely little café", she says as she tucks into her cappuccino. "Almost as good as the espresso in Amsterdam." "Do you still live there", asks Carl. "I still have the house on the canal. It is empty now, as I have been all over the place." "What are you doing for income these days." "Like you, Carl. Inherited wealth. My father, whom I never actually ever met or laid eyes on, made both of us, Sven and I , the beneficiaries of his estate. "When did he die", says Carl. "That", she muses between sips of her cappuccino, "Is going to be a little bit complicated to explain..."

The Peacock 1646

Now they have caught up with the rest of us. She walks up next to Erik and hooks her arm in his. "it is so good to see you freed from that dreadful hotel room." "I really don't know how to thank you, Stella." "There is no need to. We have been working and planning for months to try to get you free from your sister and from my brother. You are in good hands now." "So you are going to be living with us." "Well, in the house here in, what do you call this darling little suburb?" "New Westminster", says Carl. "Much nicer thn the original Westminster in London", she says. "But yes, I have successfully blackmailed Carl into letting me stay...

1645

The painters have arrived, six in all and now we are walking down to Columbia Street for some time in the coffee shop. "The thing is, Stella", says Carl (they are walking behind us) is we haven't done anything at all to prepare for you. This is all so very sudden and-" "May I remind you of just one little detail", she says to him sternly. "Go ahead..." "Six months in my house on the canal. Remember, darling" He is silent for a bit and says finally, "When do you want to move in..."

The Peacock 1643

"What an absolutely divine house", she rhapsodises as Carl unlocks the front door. "And it is big. How many bedrooms?" "I counted as many as seventeen", I reply, "Including several occasional rooms that could be converted into bedrooms." The house does appear to be in better shape than I thought, and we are now all taking a tour. On the third floor, the garret, Stella goes into a corner bedroom, the top part of a turret with expanive windows. "This is going to be my bedroom", she says, twirling around like a delighted little girl. "Oh, I can hardly wait." "Um, Stella", says Carl. "Yes, darling." "We have to talk..."

The Peacock 1642

The silence that has just fallen over us is so heavy that no one has spoken another word and already we are pulling up in front of the house in New Westminster. I simply do not want to believe that the elegant transwoman sharing the backseat with my friends could be any more than a very well preserved forty, if that, but there is something in her words, her way of speaking them that goads me into believing the impossible. If Stella is indeed speaking the truth, then she would be over a hundred. "Stella", says Carl, just before I turn off the ignition, "What year were you and Sven born, exactly." "1913." She climbs out of the door with the grace and zest of a teenager. "Later this month we will be 108. In earth years, that is", she says with a malevolent chuckle....

The Peacock 1641

"How can a brother and sister possibly be identical twins", say I. "We both started growing boobies at the age of twelve. Sven's were removed. I kept mine." "So then", says Carl, "You are both hermaphrodites. "In a manner of speaking. We were separated very young, when we were three years old. My father took Carl and Mother married an Englishman who was stationed in Sweden during the War, and then just after the war ended we all moved with him to London. Carl was allowed to come and visit every summer, but never with our father, whose identity to this day remains for me a mystery." "Wait a minute", say I. "You were born during the Second World War? That was eighty years ago. How old are you?" "The other war, darling", she purrs...

The Peacock1640

"So, you two are fraternal twins" say I. "No, Christopher, we are not fraternal." "But you said you are twins." "And that we are. I must say, this is my first time in your beautiful city. And it is beautiful. I mean, the architecrure is lacklustre, except for some of the lovely cottage like houses I have seen in the neighbourhood where I am staying, but there simply is nothing like this in Europe for parks and gardens and trees and nature. i think I would love to live here." "Are you dropping a hint", says Carl. "I most certainly am, darling." "So", say I, "You and Lindstrom are twins, but not fraternal. Then what really are you." "Sven and I are identical twins..."

1639

"What did you just say", says Carl. "Sven Lindstrom and I are siblings. We are twins, actually." "And only just now you decide to tell me." "Only just now is the information relevant to you." "Is there a story there". "Oh Carl, always the journalist. Yes there is a story. There is a very long and complicated story. Where would you like me to begin." "I would like to know why you and your brother have become enemies." "We were raised separately, under very different and constrasting influences and circumstances...

1638

"As always, you are right. Stella", says Carl. "I also have my moments of error, you know." "Well, that would be news to me." "I have had to learn a lesson or two in humility since our time living by the canal in Amsterdam. I have been through some hard lessons myself." "How did you end up at the hotel last night." "I was already informed and briefed by, shall we say, headquarters. They told me you would be along in the early evening, so I camped out in the parking lot, waiting for my time to pounce." "What did you do to that desk clerk?" I ask. "He is a plant and he works for my twin sibling. I already knew all about what was going on, since, as much as my brother hates me, or seems to hate me, I always manage to get information out of him." "Your brother", says Carl. "Sven Lindstrom.

1637

"Seriously, Stella, how did you know to find us at the intersection there". "I did not know. It was foreordained." "What do you mean foreordained." "Quite simply darling, before hailing an uber to take me to Christopher's house, I thought to stretch my legs a little. I am staying right now in an air b and b, a charming little cottage near Trout Lake, and I felt curious about the neighbourhood. I didn't know you were going to stand me up." "Sorry. I forgot that we had made other plans." "Or perhaps when you were making the other plans you had quite forgotten about our prior commitment."

1636

"How did you do that?" says Carl, turning his head to face Stella. "Do what", she purrs. "You know damn well what I'm talking about, Stella." She rubs his stubble hair briskly with her large hand and says, "Oh Carl, you still are temperamental." To me she says, "Now that I'm here, darling, how about showing me that new house our friend has just bought?"

1635

"are you sure?" "Someone has to be there to let the painters in." "But doesn't Stella..." "Stella schmella. Look. if she wants to see me badly enough, she is very good at finding me. "Like at the hotel last night." "Like at the hotel last night." "Do you think she'll be waiting for us in New Westminster." As we are pausing at a red light at Kingsway and Victoria a very tall woman dressed in black approaches the car, then lets herself in, obligating Erik and Jesús to slide over and make room for her...

1634

"Which is to say", say I, "That we are under divine protection." "The house is, anyway", says Carl. Now it occurs to me suddenly. Yesterday Stella made an appointment with us at home for ten this morning. We will be standing her up. "Carl. Don't we have an appointment with Stella this morning?" "Oh my God", he groans. "Hell hath no fury like Stella when she is stood up." "what are we going to do." That I wish I knew", says Carl. "Should we head back." "No. keep driving forward, Jeeves..."

1633

Sven knows him personally. He spent three weeks with him in his mansion on an unknown island in the Salish Sea", say I. "Yes", says Erik, "Now it's all coming together. It was a few years ago, Greta was just starting in university and I was pretty young, myself, but I remember eavesdroping on some of their conversations back then after he came back. None of it made any sense to me. And you said there are others." "For sure one of the people in our group, Jason, also had a couple of weeks there. And if he is to be believed, so did my old friend Chuck, who evidently might have been there for fifteen years." "And you think the blood on your doorway came from Jesus", says Erik. "Here it is in Exodus", says Carl, who has been manically scrolling on his phone. The first Passover in Egypt, when the Children of Israel were commanded by God through Moses to daub the blood of their sacrifical lambs on their doorways in order to prevent the angel of death from taking their firstborn..."

1632

"I'm sure we'll figure it out", says Carl, putting his phone on his lap. "Could it be related to the dream I had last night." "The kid Jesús?", says Carl... "What is this all about", says Erik. I guess we have some explainng to do", says Carl. "It is a very long story", says Carl, turning around to look at our friends in the back seat. "Our host, Chris, has a peculiar gift or proclivity for dreams and visions. And what makes them particurlry noteworthy is the way they seem to cross over back and forth." "And they are often repeated. Ever since I went to the mansion on retreat I have been regularly dreaming of or seeing whom I imagine to be Jesus when he was a a teenager." "And there are several of us to cooberate", says Carl. "Teenage jesus", says Erik. "Wait a minute. I heard something, last year, a conversation between Sven and Greta..."

1630 and 1631

I get to drive, so we are going in the car. But there is just one thing, and it was Erik who saw it first, and now here I stand in the open doorway before leaving the house. Above, on each side and on the floor or the threshold. Red stains. Red. The colour of blood. "Who do you think did it?"" says Carl. "It can't have been an outside job", say I. "Look, the red marks are both outside and inside. It must have been someone here. But who?" "We should talk to everyone in the house", says Jesús. Carl looks at his watch and says, "We don't have time. If we leave now we can get there just ahead of the painters." "I can't imagine", say I , "That anyone here would do such a thing", as I walk over to the car. "Jesus", says Carl. "Yes. That dream I had last night..." "Next to me in the front seat Carl is on the phone with Francois. "Yeah, it looks like blood. You haven't seen it, yet Go have a look. Right now, please." "Who do you imagine did it", says Erik from the back, next to Jesús who appears to be on his very best behaviour. "Well, we are right now finding out who didn't do it" "Are they right there, now", says Carl. "Tell them to have a look...Does it look like blood to you. I don't know either." "This is all so very strange", says Jesús. "They don't know who did it either. Okay, talk to George and Jeffrey when you see them today. I'm pretty sure they had nothing to do with it, but maybe they can help us figure it out..."

The Peacock 1629

Jesús is nursing a mug of coffee at the kitchen table and of course he is coming with us today. No need to ask. So much for a day alone with Carl, who is serving me toast and coffee because I can see he is in a hurry to get out of here. Jesús has been up for some time already. Francois comes into the kitchen. "What are your plans" he says as he pours himself coffee. "I have to be in New West at nine to let in the painters. "Coming?" "Jason and Lazarus and I have all been invited to have breakfast with George and Jeffrey downtown. We want to talk about our time together in the mansion, before Doug was kicked out. " "Old times?" say I as Erik pops more bread in the toaster. "There are things we are all still struggling to understand so we are hoping we can work on this together..."

1638

I had forgotten what a slob Erik is in the bathroom. Fortunately my feet are bare, so there is no problem crossing over the swamp that he has turned my bathroom into. My bathroom. Well, it is my bathroom, inherited from Dad, and I suppose sharing it with others makes it our bathroom. Our living room. Our kitchen. Our house. Nope. Doesn't quite work. At least he has left plenty of hot water for me, and as I do recall now, Erik, like me, is always one for quick showers. We should get along fine while he's here. While he is here. Which is to say, our arrangements with him may indeed err on the side of temporary...

1627

"Yes, I would like that very much", he replies in his slightly clipped, very correct English. "Just give me five minutes to shower", say I, jumping up from the bed and to my relief, away from Carl's very pleasant proximity. "How did you sleep." "Very, very well, thanks." "Have you had breakfast?" "Not yet." "I will get some toast and cereal ready for us when you're done", says Carl, getting off the bed and leaving the room. Erik obediently follows him...

The Peacock 1626

Now we are both sitting up on the bed, hugging our knees and facing each other. Both of us smiling rather stupidly. Both of us tamping down the tenderness we are both feeling right now. "The painters are arriving at the house at nine and I have to be there to let them in. it's seven thirty now. If you shower and choke down some toast or whatever, then we can just make it on time." Erik suddenly appears in the doorway. "Good morning", he says, clearly trying to figure out just exactly what it is we are both up to together here on top of my father's bed in my father's bedroom. "Good morning, Erik", says Carl with unforced cheer and good humour. "how about coming out to New Westminster with us this morning..."

1625

Something has just bumped me in the back. And suddenly I am awake. I look up and there is carl grinning maniacally over me from where he is lying next to me on the bed. "I thought that would get you moving", he says. Something between a grunt and a groan issues involuntarily from my lips. Carl rests his chin on my shoulder, which is most uncomfortable though I do like his close proximity. There is something enormously comforting about his presence. "How about i undress you then go turn on the shower for you, Stinky?" "Oh that dream I had. Aaron said no more flirting." "Well, Aaron can go stick his head up his ass." And now he is tickling me and I am squirming in peals of delighted laughter...

The Peacock 1624

He has already made his bed, but still hasn't folded the mattress into the sofa. Perhaps he wants to leave it that way, I am stretched out now on top of my own bed. It wasn't slept in last night, and my body feels its welcome like the arms of a long lost lover. Erik has turned on the shower. It might be nice just to rest a little...

1623

"What, do I smell that bad?" "You shouldn't always be asking for my opinion." "How about Erik. Can he come? It's his first day here and I don't want him to feel abandoned by me." "Wake him up." Apparently Erik is already up. His door is open and the bathroom door is shut with the light on. I am going to have to wait.

1622

"I don't what Francois to leave", say I. Carl has just brought us each coffee from the kitchen. "Me neither. His departure would be a huge loss for us." "At least we have him for sure till December." "What about that dream of yours." "What about it. It was vintage Aaron wagging his finger at everyone. He did say that there is nothing he can do to control us. He insists that he is just a fly on the wall eavesdropping and recording. Kind of like an interdimensional journalist. And then Jesus appeared and it was all incredible, and his blood flowing down from his wounds." "Chris. Tell me. Want to hang out with me for the day. Just us." "Yes. I would really like that." "Okay, go take your shower and finish your coffee and we're out of here."

1621

"You're staying here with me", and I have said this not as a plea but as a command. "I am staying here with you. After you fell asleep on the couch last night we had a conversation about it and Jesús, Lazarus and Jason will all be moving there this week. And so will the other two, George and Jeffrey. We were on the phone briefly and we are agreed that the condo is temporary and they also will be coming to New West later in the week. And they have thanked you again for letting them stay there for a few days. "What are Francois' plans?" "He wants to stay here with us till at least December, then he will decide whether or not he's returning to Montreal. And your brother-in-in law?" "Erik's not going anywhere." "That works for us. We like him..."

1620

"Aaron showed up out of nowhere eating a cracker and giving us shit about how we have been handling things and especially to Jesús for hitting on me, then on Erik. Then the kid Jesus showed up, blood came pouring from his hands and feet, then he got all transfigured and glowing, then he looked like the mature Jesus we see in the paintings and next thing I knew I was waking up on the floor." "I had a pretty fitful sleep myself and spent half the night tossing and turning. And I'm worried about you." "How come?" "I'm concerned about the strain we are all putting you under." "I hope that doesn't mean you're leaving." "Not in the least. But I have fast tracked the painting at the house and everyone can get out of here Wednesday at the latest. They're coming in today to do the work and they will be done by tomorrow.

1619

It's been all a blank, but now as I am flushing the toilet I appear to be emerging from out of my brain fog. Yes, the Kid Jesus. And a visit from Aaron. What really happened this time. I have neither forgotten to wipe the rim of the toilet or wash my hands. Dad has trained me so well. Carl is seated on one end of the couch. I take the other end. "Did you see Aaron here last night?" I say to Carl. "No." "The Kid Jesus?" "No." Did anyone else happen to see either of them." "No again. Three strikes. You had one of those dreams again. What happened, exactly."

1618

"How are you?" he says again. "Let me get up first. I feel kind of stupid lying here on the floor. How did I end up on the floor." "I saw you here when I came down for a snack around two am. I couldn't wake you, but your vital signs were okay, I did check your breathing and pulse, so I tried to make you more comfortable." Here, let me help you if you're getting up." "Thanks. And thank you, Carl." He has hoisted me up in an awkward standing posture. And suddenly I have to pee. Badly. "I'll be right back."

The Peacock 1617

The first thing I see is the blood has disappeared from the rug. The next thing I know is that I am lying on the floor, where evidently I have been sleeping. And I am covered by a blanket, the same pale blue blanket my father used to wrap me in when I was a sleepy little boy. And there is a pillow under my head. i see a pair of bare feet and bluejeans. They belong to Carl who is watching me anxiously from the armchair. "are you alright?" "What happened to the blood?" "Blood?". "That Jesus was staining the carpet with. His own blood. From his hands. Feet." "You were having a dream." "What time is it?" "Quarter after six." "I guess I should go to bed...