Chapter 14 - Yin and Yang:

Chapter 14 - Yin and Yang:
             Hand in Hand, Head to Head

..::...the fighting Queen Medb, as described to
Cuchulainn by his fellow warrior Cethern, grievously
wounded by an unknown assailant:
  'A tall, fair, long-faced woman with soft features
came at me...she had a head of yellow hair, and a
pair of gold birds on her shoulders. She wore a
purple cloak folded about her, with five hands'
breadth of gold on her back. She carried a light,
stinging, sharp-edged lance in her hand, and she
held an iron sword with a woman's grip over her
head--a massive figure. It was she who came against
me first.'
  'Then I'm sorry for you,' is Cuchulainn's comment.
'That was Medb of Cruachan.'::..
The Warrior Queens
Antonia Fraser


                    

                     . . . .




Daryl sat alone in his attic hideaway, gazing at the
storm without; the weather matching his mood...he
sipped at a glass of tea, but had not his pipe with
him. Not yet. But his mood was dark and stormy as
the Atlantic coast this day.


                     

 
Once Jeanne and Shannon were safely off home, he'd
found Jack had absented himself and the lab locked
up below. As to be expected, he thought...Jack was
strong medicine now, and not for the faint of heart.
Jeanne could be forgiven her reaction to the changes
Morgana had wrought upon Jack, (for Daryl did blame
his nephew's misfortune upon her, and rightly so),
but Jack remained himself enough to still feel the
pain of rejection. Perhaps even more so now.

Morgana again. Damn the woman... Daryl had for many
long years bethought himself safe and free from her
machinations at last. The only reason she went after
Jack as she did was surely meant just to cause Daryl
acute misery.
  Or was it? She had fancied Daryl, but
perhaps...she had only wished to get into his genes.
So to speak. And Jack, gentle and rather naive
still, without Emlyn or another, was easy pickings.
  Daryl sighed. Well, Jack wasn't the first to be
brought low by the fair, strong hand of a
woman...Xerxes had his Artemisia, Cyrus his Tomyris.
  Daryl drank off his tea and reached for the
cognac.
                      . . . .

Emlyn felt rather bereft after her Triad sisters had
left. And more so when she found Jack and Daryl had
both quickly absented themselves from the scene. She
understood why. And it made her feel all the more
wretched...

Damn that Gwydion! For it was all his doing, after
all, she huffed. She hadn't time to...to explain
about Jack's changes, to Jeanne or Shannon. Oh, why
did they have to suddenly pop in and grab her just
as she was nearly off?!

Tea. Em sighed and betook herself into the kitchen
and heated the kettle. Why she had not noticed the
all the strange and modern appliances her first
visit here was a puzzle...Jeanne certainly had, and
Shannon as well. She smiled in spite of herself;
that Shannon! A game lass, indeed... Em couldn't
help but love her for it.
  But Jeanne...oh, how it broke her heart to see her
reaction to Jack... Em realized only later that it
was his darkened eye-lenses which capped the overall
strangeness of their journey here; and Em hadn't
time to explain about his light-sensitivity. Taken
all at once, it had been too much for the stoic
Scot, even one so used to the Otherworld as Jeanne.

Answering the kettle's whistle, as Emlyn poured for
kava, she recalled her first trip here, (abduction,
really), and how off-putting she had found
everything then. This had led to Alice's Though the
Looking-Glass escape route, as quickly as they could
manage it...so Em was tres' sympathetique' with
Jeanne's reaction.

Still, Jack hadn't deserved any of this. The last
thing he needed now was to be thought of as bizarre
by those he'd considered friends. Em wrapped a towel
about the teapot and pondered on this newest
predicament. She sighed once more when she came to
realize that it was she, herself who had caused the
problem and not altogether Gwydion. He had, indeed,
asked her if she would come with him of her own free
will. Several times, in fact.

Although Emlyn was not aware of it, this realization
of her complicity in certain unfortunate matters was
the difference betwixt her inner musings and those
of Daryl.

                  . . . .

A sudden knock upon the front door startled Em out
of her reverie. Dark, now. Whoever could it be?
Aleister, perhaps? Protocol and all that...she
supposed it was possible.

Well, it was up to her, she supposed; Daryl off who
knew where and Jack in the lab licking his wounds...
  She opened the door to find Athena, 'neath a large
black umbrella.
  'May I come in?'

                    

'Of course! Please!' Emlyn relaxed, relieved to see
a friendly face at last. 'I'm so glad you're here,
Athena! Let me take your wet things...'
 Em escorted her sister-in-the-stacks back into the
kitchen. 'I've just made kava tea, and there's a
stew, I believe...' she realized then that she
hadn't eaten a thing.


'Sounds lovely, thank you.' Athena smiled and set
her bag beside her, taking a seat at the kitchen
table, while Em brought tea and busied herself
heating rolls and dishing up bowls of stew, thankful
to have something, and someone, to help take her
mind off her troubles.

'Jack and Daryl busy, I suppose...?' Athena sipped
her tea and tossed her long, silver braids behind
her back as she took her tea.
  Em was silent a moment, then, 'I, believe Jack is
in the lab, and Daryl...he's about...somewhere.'
  Athena smiled. 'That's fine. I came to see you,
really. Well, to drop this off for you...' she bent
to her bag and brought forth a large volume, hard-
bound with gold Elvish writing and etchings on the
brown leather-like cover.
  'Oh!'The Lord of the Rings'!' Emlyn was overjoyed.
'At last! Thank you, Athena!'
  'Wasn't sure you'd be here, but, well, it's such a
nice night for a stroll...' Athena casually broke
open a bun.
  Emlyn looked up at her, wide-eyed. 'In this
storm?'
 'Ah. Lovely, isn't it?' She sat back, smiling,
seemingly contented.
 'Athena, you are a wonder...' Em shook her head and
paged though the book. 'Oh, it has all three parts!
I can't wait! I shall start it tonight.'
 'The perfect evening's read, indeed.' Athena poured
more tea for them both, then tucked into her stew.
'Have you been here long?'

Emlyn closed the book, and took it to the counter.
'Best keep this away from any stains...' She bit her
lip, wondering how much to say to Athena, not
knowing her that well, really. She recalled her
Libran brother Oscar Wilde's wise observation: 'A
little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great
deal of it is absolutely fatal.'

She sat across from the older, although still
ravishing, woman--in Em's estimation, and studied
her. 'No. I only just arrived today. Rather, ah,
unexpectedly.' She paused. 'I don't think that Jack
and Daryl were...quite ready for me.'
  'Nonsense! Daryl is always saying how much he
wishes you would stay on here. He is concerned for
you, my dear.'
  Emlyn took their empty bowls to the sink and
rinsed. 'I'm still getting used to this
place...Daryl is always master and commander here,'
she attempted a smile. 'I suppose I ought to get a
fire started...or, oh my, I wonder if it has gone
out, then...?'

Taking the book, Em led the way to the parlor and
found the fire had indeed burned down to coals.
  'It's salvageable.' She and Athena got some
kindling started and soon a small crackling blaze
rewarded their efforts.

'I like to leave the drapes open to the storm, to
watch. Do you mind?' Em asked.
 'Need you ask? Come, sit beside me,' and Athena
patted the sofa. 'Would you care if I divest myself
of boots? They're a bit wet still. I wonder...' and
reaching beneath the sofa, Athena fished out a pair
of silk Chinese slippers.

'Oh-h...' Em's voice caught. 'Just like Alice used
to have!' She was unprepared for this sentimental
reminder of her old friend.
 Athena smiled as she slipped them on, wiggling her
toes, 'Daryl keeps these for me here. Just my size,
you see? Ah, being tall has some advantages, but
large feet isn't one of them...' She leaned back
with her arms draped about the sofa back, as was her
wont, Em recalled. 'And who is Alice?'

Emlyn leaned back also, resting her head upon a
cushion. 'My dear old friend and housemate, or was.
She, she moved. Years ago now... Odd, I was just
thinking of her tonight. She was here once, with
Aleister.  It was the first time I came here, with
Jack.' She shook her head, 'So long ago, now.'
 'You miss her, yes?' Athena divined.
 'Oh. Oh, yes,' Em sighed and tried not to let her
feelings get the better of her. 'But! Things change.
I have new friends now...'
 'So you do. I hope I may be one of them,' Athena
patted Em's shoulder, then stood to toss another log
on the fire, then regarded Em, hands on hips. 'I may
just have a glass of cognac. You?'
 Emlyn laughed. 'Oh, why not? It has been that sort
of day...'

Athena did not comment, merely suited action to word
and brought two snifters to the tea table. 'You will
love the book, I guarantee. You've read 'The
Hobbit', yes?'
  'Oh, yes! Jack loaned it me, rather awhile back.
I'm not sure how much I can recall...'
  'You needn't. It can stand by itself, 'The Ring'.'
Athena gazed at the younger woman, noting the
pinched features and rather dark shadows about
Emlyn's eyes. 'How is Jack?'

Em closed her eyes a moment, then took up her glass
and sipped deeply, sighing.'He is, he was...better.'
Until I happened upon the scene, she thought. 'He'll
be alright, eventually.'
  'And, Daryl?' Athena stared into her glass.
  Emlyn sighed again. 'Ohh, Daryl...' she took
another deep drink. 'He is not best pleased with me
at the moment, I fear.'
  'He'll get over it.' Athena tossed back her long
braids.

Emlyn just shook her head, then stood and began to
pace, tapping her nails against her glass. 'Oh,
Athena...I fear I may have truly buggered things up
here!'
 Athena bit back a laugh at prim Em's sudden
divergence into sailor talk. 'Oh, I rather doubt
that. Things happen...'
  Em considered this. 'Well, yes, I suppose...much
of the problem was wholly unlooked-for! I tried to
repair the damage as best I could, I certainly
couldn't have foreseen--'
  Athena held up a hand, 'Stop! Begin at the
beginning, as another Alice was once advised!' She
smiled kindly.

And Em did, attempting the barest of outlines
regarding the ill-fated timewalk with unlooked-for
passengers tagging along. '...And when Jeanne saw
Jack's eyes, well...'
  'Ah. I see.' Athena nodded, and stood once more,
bringing the decanter to the table. She poured a
dram in both glasses. 'Have you any chocolate?'
  Em laughed, 'Chocolate?!'
  'A cure-all for most ills. A moment! I know where
Daryl keeps his stash...he's a chocoholic, too, you
know...' And off Athena moved, quickly, silently in
her satin slippers. Em could hear a soft sound of
rummaging in the kitchen, then a 'Ummmm...' from
Athena, as she returned, chewing, and offered Em a
gold box labeled, 'Godiva'.
 'Dark is best.'
                    


                   

                    . . . .

'People fear the unknown, and wish to deny it.'
Athena helped herself to another dark chocolate,
with almonds as she analyzed Em's latest news. 'I,
myself, have always been of the opposite mindset;
that which others deride and avoid, due to
ignorance, usually, and fear, is meat and drink for
me!' She held up her snifter, saluting Em. 'The
mysterious, the unknown...has always had a Siren's
call for me. And that which I discover, in that
Undiscovered Country, does usually give me
inspiration, and, indeed, hope.'

Emlyn sat back, chewing slowly, savoring the satiny,
sweet delicacy, her eyes closed, as she then sipped
her cognac, delighting in the perfection of the
blending flavors on her tongue...
  'You amaze me, Athena...for that is exactly how I
feel. Why is it, I wonder, that some people embrace
the challenge of the unknown, and wish to explore
and increase their knowledge, while others shun even
the merest hint of what is other than the most
obvious and stolid, and, I might add, boring and
pedestrian? It's something I have never understood.'

Athena sipped daintily at her splash of liquor,
'They fear for their children's sake, perhaps.' She
sighed, 'Which is, of course, understandable.
Parents feel the need to protect their young. But,
unless there is certain harm, or the child is
somehow of a weakened or compromised constitution,
this is usually not a productive or positive
position to take.' She nodded, 'The child will
rebel. And, sometimes, find themselves in wild, deep
waters far beyond where they could have been gently
encouraged to explore, safely. Experience, testing
new waters, is a healthy and altogether sane
approach to life in general. When people become too
hide-bound, that is when entropy sets in, which
demands change, much as nature abhors a vacuum; when
people's minds are shut and hearts are closed, they
trod the same old ruts and worlds can crumble from
sheer ennui.'

Emlyn agreed, 'I see. That makes such beautiful
sense! But, what if they do not have children?'
  'Then, if they aren't somehow impaired themselves,
they are perhaps simply plain and ordinary and
content to be so, or merely dull, stodgy people,
perhaps not too intelligent, who are better off
playing checkers and singing hymns and doing what
others tell them is best.' Athena grinned wickedly,
then leaned forward to poke the fire, 'But I'm being
cruel, I suppose. There just seems to be so much
unnecessary evil done in the world by just such
folk. 'God told me to'--fill in the blank!' She sat
back, sighing, 'One must wonder about such a 'god'
who orders the wholesale slaughter of innocents, to
appease his divine ego! Or, one should. But, these
people do not. They are like automatons, they only
know to obey. Folk like these, are the reason that
our world is now dying.' She stared into her brandy,
running a long finger about the rim of her glass.

'If not for Daryl's daring the unknown, and finding
such a refuge for us beyond time...for me...I know
not where I would be. Dead, probably, or wishing I
was. I could not live underground like a half-human.
Oh, best not think of it...'
  Athena took up the decanter, pouring a small shot.
'If the Pope had been female, and poor, as most
women are...and with children, and no husband, as
most women were in my time, and forced to live in
squalor and disease, well...perhaps filling the
planet beyond it's capacity to accommodate such a
crowd would make him think twice, assuming he had
the brainpower to produce an original thought.  
'Having myself been a such a child as had to shift
for oneself in a cold, hard, uncaring world, I must
admit there were times when I would certainly have
preferred non or pre-existence to the unmitigated
pain, misery, and suffering of so-called 'life' on
this low planet.'


                       

Em watched her friend, intent upon her words, as
Athena was now, as Jack would say, on a roll: 'But
people do not feel for such children. They are the
'letter of the law' types who care not for the
spirit of the law in which it was made, such as
their Jesus supposedly taught. Sunday christians,'
Athena snorted, 'who would drive blithely past the
poor beggars on the streets, home to their Sunday
dinners, congratulating themselves on the pennies
they put in the plate! Unless one is prepared to
give up all one's worldly goods, and devote oneself
to alleviating the suffering of the multitudes, one
ought not call oneself 'christian'. Oh, the wars,
atrocities, inquisitions, torture of innocents done
in 'his' name! 'Let the dead bury the dead,' he
said, and so it is written. Aye, an' Jaysus, was a
hard act to follow...or should be.' She drank off
her glass and sat back, curling her long legs
beneath her.

Emlyn smiled then, pouring a bit more of the liquid
amber in their snifters. 'You sound like Daryl.
That's a compliment.' Em paused a space. 'You
wouldn't be Irish, would you, Athena?'
  'Um. Possibly...' Athena dodged, aware her roots
were showing. 'Daryl, yes. We are much alike, he and
I, as are you, yourself, dear Em. And much like
Anara as well. Oh yes, I know of her.' She leaned
over the chocolate box. 'Two left!' Winking, she
took one, offering Em the box, which was duly
accepted.

                        

'Daryl is the kindest man I have ever known...'
Athena's voice softened as she stared into the fire,
'Do not mistake his sometimes indifferent or even
gruff demeanor. It is not easy for him...' she
paused, 'He is ill-suited for the grave
responsibilities which have befallen him, many of
which you cannot begin to imagine. He certainly
never wished to be the guardian of so many
souls...including my own, and now yours and Jack's.'

Emlyn was silent as she finished her chocolate, and
thought about this...had Daryl come to care for them
all, in somewhat the same fashion as she now did, or
should, toward Llew? She, as well, hadn't sought to
be any ones guardian, much less mother! As she had
often stated, she could barely tie her own
bootlaces...
  Perhaps that situation was often the case, she
realized, thinking of the orphaned young Sophie...


                       

Athena replaced the lid upon the chocolate box and
stirred the fire, adding another limb or two. 'Yes,
you are much like his Anara, and she is not here.
Not in this here and now.' Athena sat back and
looked intently upon Em then. 'So, do go gently with
Daryl. He may seem superhuman, but I assure you, he
is only a man. He may seem avuncular to you, but you
two are hardly related...'

Emlyn was jarred out of her musings by this. Her
face took on a glow to rival the firelight. She
cleared her throat...'I, ah, hmm,' and paused, then,
'...Athena, have you and Daryl...were you ever...'

Athena stood then and took up their glasses and
returned the decanter to the walnut bar. 'I think
we've both had quite enough, ah, cheer, for now.'
Emlyn noted a small smile, however, hovering about
Athena's lips. She set the glasses upon a tray, then
turned, leaning against the windowsill, 'Do be, if
not wary, at least aware of Daryl, Em. And, be kind
to him...'

'Yes, indeed, be kind to Daryl! He could use a
little kindness about now!'
 'Daryl!' Em jumped, not hearing his entrance, and
feeling rather 'caught out', after eating all his
chocolate and drinking not a little of his
Courvoisier; even if it had been Athena's idea. And
here she'd been feeling guilty to begin with! So
much for kindness...

'Daryl, dear, were your ears burning? We ate your
Godiva, you may as well know...' Athena informed
him, as he approached her and they embraced, kissing
lightly, chastely, on the lips. Daryl reached around
her and grasped the decanter, eyeing it, and her,
narrowly.
  'Yes, I see...' He replaced it and turned, heading
to the hearth and stirring the fire,
'Librarians...rather a hedonistic lot, aren't you?'

Athena merely smiled her Cheshire Cat grin and
looked well pleased, spreading her arms. 'All we
need now is music! What say?'
  'I say you're an impertinent, demanding,
chocolate-inhaling...beauty.' Daryl smiled at last.
'How can I but acquiesce? For--

    'I do not want the empire of Rome
     Nor to be elected Pope
     If I cannot return to her
     For whom my heart burns and cracks;
     And if she does not cure my ills
     With a kiss before the new year
     She will kill me and condemn herself...'

Daryl took a deep bow to their applause.
  'Arnaut!' Athena seemed much gratified, and she
addressed Emlyn, 'Arnaut Daniel, a famous French
troubadour of the 12th century, of whom Petrarch
said:'First of all, Arnaut Daniel, Great Master of
Love, Who, in his own land, Still does honor with
his strange and lovely Song.' As does, still, our
strange and lovely Daryl...' and, eyes lowered
demurely, she curtsied to him.

                      

Pouring himself a small shot of cognac, Daryl strode
to the piano. 'Sounds better in French...and I
detest Ezra Pound and his attempts to translate...
racist, fascist bastard...'
  Athena looked at Em, making a face and shaking her
head slightly, then joined Daryl at the grand,
placing a fair hand upon it's dark gleaming wood.

Daryl warmed up between sips of brandy and addressed
the ladies, 'And just what have you been discussing
amidst this chocolate and cognac orgy...besides
myself, of course...?' He lifted one eyebrow their
way in casual query.

'Oh, the usual girl talk...secrets of the universe,
worlds colliding, that sort of thing...' Emlyn was
eyeing her mandolin, however, fingers itching...
  'The need for reinvention and revolution,' Athena
added, turning to Em, leaning against the piano,
absorbing it's vibration, 'and the atrocities caused
by religion and it's attendant world-destroying
ignorance.'
  'And, Rome, and the Pope, as you mentioned in your
recitation, in fact...the rise and fall of
civilizations...' Emlyn herself then arose and
fetching her mando, began to softly tune. And,
as she did so, she noticed then, Jack...standing
in the hallway behind the piano, and watching.
He was smiling, though, and this made her glad,
and much relieved.
 

Athena bent to Daryl and said, 'Emlyn asked me if I
'might not be Irish!'' And, for some reason known
only to them, they began to chuckle.
  'Ah, sure'n 'tis a foine night for a bit o'song,
so it'tis...' and Daryl launched into a Damien
Dempsey tune, with Athena harmonizing, as Emlyn
endeavored to play along:





Mary loves the grouse, hides the bottles round the
house,
She watches chatshows and the soaps, broken-hearted
but she copes,
Michael's out of work, feels he's sinking in the
murk,
 He's unshaven and a mess, finds it hard some days
to dress
Stevie smashes the delf, 'cause he can't express
himself,
He's consumed by rage, like his father at his age,
Rita's little child, has a lovely little smile,
 This means nothing to her father, because he's
never even seen her.
We sing, sing all our cares away
We'll live, to fight another day
Joey's off the gear, he's been clean for half a
year,
 He gets bored out of his mind, but he's tryin to
toe the line
Maggie's in a chair, 'twas joyriding put her there,
She puts the kettle on the boil, and she's always
got a smile
We sing, sing all our cares away
 We'll live, to fight another day
We sing, sing all our cares away,
We'll live, to love another day,
We grow strong, from it all,
We grow strong, or we fall,
We grow strong, from it all,
 We grow strong, or we fall,
We grow strong. 



The company was surprised then, to hear applause,
or at least the Sound of Two Hands Clapping. Daryl turned
on the bench and beheld Jack then, all smiles.

  'Grand stuff,' Jack began, 'so it 'tis, but, a wee bit sad...' Was his comment, as he put up a hand, then reached behind him,
bringing out his guitar.
  'In keeping with the theme, however, how about a wee
bit of Waterboys?'


Daryl grinned at that, and abandoned the piano in favor
of the fiddle then.
  And, to the delight of all, Jack started them off with
A Bang -- On The Ear!

'Lindsay was my first love, she was in my class

I would have loved to take her out but I was too shy to ask
The fullness of my feeling was never made clear
But I send her my love with a bang on the ear

Nora was my girl when I first was in a group
I can still see her to this day, stirring chicken soup
Now she's living in Australia, working for an auctioneer
But I send her my love with a bang on the ear
Deborah broke my heart and I the willing fool
I fell for her one summer on the road to Liverpool
I thought it was forever but it was over in a year, oh dear!
But I send her my love with a bang on the ear
The home I made with Bella became a house of pain
We weathered it together, bound by a ball and chain
It started up in fife and ended up in tears
But I send her my love with a bang on the ear
Krista was a rover, from Canada she hailed
We crossed swords in San Francisco, we both lived to tell the tale
I don't know now where she is, oh but if I had her here
I'd give her my love with a bang on the ear
So my woman of the hearth fire, harbor of my soul
I watch you lightly sleeping
And sense the dream that does unfold like gold
You to me are a treasure, you to me are dear
So I'll give you my love with a bang on the ear
I'll give you my love with a bang on the ear
I'll give you my love with a bang on the ear
I'll give you my love with a bang on the ear'



WATCH AND LISTEN!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKsaHsCQqXI



Sing All Our Cares Away:
 WATCH AND LISTEN!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7nqpQYqwQ8