A New Novel, Part 287 I Will Trade My Virtue to You

18 July 2011, A New Novel, Part 287 I Will Trade My Virtue to You

For those who haven’t been following this blog, let me introduce it a little. I am currently blogging my 21st novel that has the working title Daemon. The novel is about Aksinya, a sorceress, who, to save her family from the Bolsheviks, called and contracted the demon, Asmodeus. Her family was murdered anyway, and she fled with the demon from Russia to Austria.

Father Dobrushin took Aksinya to dinner.  He told her he is willing to marry her to help her be rid of the demon.  They have reached the end of their discussion--now is the time for Aksinya to decide...

Aksinya sighed, “Your words confuse me, but I am always very simple and direct.  I shall marry you.  I shall do as you ask and require.  I shall pray with you and for you.  All of this to be rid of this demon that eats away at my life and my soul.  It is a fair bargain to trade my virtue to you for all you have done for me.”

“There you are wrong, Princess.  You can desire without sin when the object of desire is appropriate.  You would not give your virtue to me and I would not give my virtue to you.  We would rather retain that virtue together in our mutual desire as husband and wife.”

Aksinya turned a gentle smile to him, “I see.  Sister Margarethe taught me you can love without lust.  Do you intend to teach me that I can love God and still possess desire?”

“I would teach you that you can still love and have desire.”  He smiled, “But you are only allowed desire for me.”

“I see.”

“We should accomplish this soon before the demon can work anymore mischief in your life.  The first step is marriage.” 

“Will Father Makar marry us?”

“I don’t know.” Father Dobrushin lowered his eyes.

“What are you not telling me?”

“It is nothing.  We will ask him tonight.  Perhaps he will do as I ask.”

They quickly finished their dinner and Father Dobrushin hired a carriage to take them to the Ecclesia.

Father Dobrushin told Aksinya that he wanted to see this whole great problem of the demon through because in it he could know the truth of spiritual things.  It made God real to him.  This is one of the subthemes of the novel.  Few patently disbelieve there is some spiritual reality.  Thoughts, emotions, the unexplained are seen to exist in the world of the spiritual.  Most of us seek the truth and reality of the spiritual world.  Because our lives are bound in thought and emotion, we recognize that inexplicable place is real, but we wish proof.  For Father Dobrushin, Aksinya is that proof.  Thus, his words confuse her--she sees them as real, he seeks their reality.  This was the metaphor in the trials.  This was the metaphor in the idea that Aksinya was not sane.  We accepted her sanity as a postulate of the novel.  We ourselves fell for the assumption of a spiritual reality based on the demon.  This is the reality Father Dobrushin wants to experience first hand through Aksinya.  He is willing to give up everything for this.

Aksinya doesn't fully understand, but she is willing to give herself to be rid of the demon.  Listen to her words, she is still in the mindset of a contract:  "It is a fair bargain to trade my virtue to you for all you have done for me.”

And here comes another subtheme explained by Father Dobrushin.  Do you remember Sister Margarethe told Aksinya she could love without desire.  Of course Ekaterina showed Aksinya about the different types of love.  Aksinya has been acting on the preface that to desire is not to really love.  Father Dobrushin is about to teach her about Greek eros.  I don't use the word in the novel because it it so misunderstood in English.  Greek eros is romantic love.  In the Christian worldview that Father Dobrushin represents, marriage is the proper place for eros, phileo, agape, and pathos (sexual love).  A husband and wife don't give up their virtue to each other, they share these loves and retain their virtue.

Father Dobrushin does love Aksinya--he is just a little embarrassed to say it.  This is cultural for the times and place.  He makes a possessive statement to her:“But you are only allowed desire for me.”

There is an element of time here.  They must hurry to see this through.  The demon still prowls the earth and he owns Aksinya through a contract.  They would enact another contract--a contract of marriage.  Of course in the old world and in ancient thought a marriage is not consummated without sex.  That is the point in Tobit.

The large question is where they will be married by contract.  This is normative for their culture and their beliefs.  They must be married in the church (it is a sacrament) before they can consummate it.  The only place they could be married is the Orthodox Church.  Remember, they are not Catholic and the Catholic Church has excluded Aksinya.  They could not excommunicate her--she was not in communion with them.

Then we begin to see there is a problem.  I foreshadowed this problem back at the secular trial.  You know there is a problem in this and Father Dobrushin has not told all.  He doesn't here either.  Soon we will see what this problem is.  Tomorrow, will Father Makar marry them?

A New Novel, Part 252 Everything was the Demon's Doing

13 June 2011, A New Novel, Part 252 Everything was the Demon's Doing 

For those who haven’t been following this blog, let me introduce it a little. I am currently blogging my 21st novel that has the working title Daemon. The novel is about Aksinya, a sorceress, who, to save her family from the Bolsheviks, called and contracted the demon, Asmodeus. Her family was murdered anyway, and she fled with the demon from Russia to Austria.

Aksinya has faced the Ecclesiastical trial.  She and many of her friends were found guilty.  The last we heard, we realized she was going to a secular trail...

Aksinya woke in the dreary cell they had assigned her under the Rathaus at Wien.  She was alone.  Frau Becker had allowed her to take the blankets marked with the bloody crosses at each corner.  She still wore the dress Ekaterina had given her.  Sloppy crosses in her blood still marked it also.  Aksinya felt somewhat safe.  She recited her rosary.  That was her true comfort.

She heard steps outside her cell and rose from her knees to sit on the hard cot she had here.  There was a knock on the door to warn her and the guard called out, “Fraulein, prepare yourself and stand away from the door.”

Aksinya knew the drill by now, “I’m ready.”

The small hatch at eye level in the door opened.  The matron glanced inside.  Aksinya showed her hands, and a heavy key clanked in the lock.  The door opened.  The matron nodded to her.  A male guard stood behind her.  The matron motioned, “Your priest and a Frau are here to visit you.  I will remain with you, if you wish.”

Aksinya shook her head.

Father Dobrushin and Mataruska Ekaterina entered the cell.

Aksinya smiled then that turned down a little, “Where is Father Makar?”

Ekaterina and Father Dobrushin glanced at one another.  Ekaterina shifted her mouth, “He would not come.”

Aksinya glanced down.  When she looked up again, the cell door was shut and the two stood alone with her.  Aksinya tried to smile again.  She opened her hands, “It isn’t much more than I had at the Ecclesia…”

Ekaterina sat beside Aksinya and put her arms around her.

Aksinya sniffled, “Aren’t you afraid you will be tainted by me.  Everyone else who has befriended me has been ruined.”

Ekaterina held her closer and clucked, “Don’t be foolish.  We know all about you.  We won’t abandon you.”

“You should.”

Father Dobrushin stuck his hands behind his back, “We will not.”  He waited a moment then asked, “Why did you leave the Ecclesia?  I told you not to go.”

“I had to find Natalya.  I had to know if she was alive.  I love her.  I didn’t realize…”

“You didn’t realize…”

“All of that was the demon’s doing.  He visited me while I was in the Cardinal’s house.  He told me he had planned everything.”  Tears choked Aksinya’s words, “He told me he allowed my family to be killed.”

Ekaterina pulled Aksinya’s head against her and stroked her hair.

Here is the author's free transition.  We ended the last chapter with the judgement of the ecclesiastical trial.  The assumption is that Aksinya will face a secular trial.  The details of the time spent between the ecclesiastical trial and the secular trial are important, but there is no reason to move at a slow pace through them.  Within a novel, the author can more time at a pace reasonable to the action.  The action will be slow.  The point is to only write exciting and important scenes (they all should be both important and exciting).  So, instead of showing all the dreary details most of which you can guess, we move directly to the next important scene.

We start with scene setting.  The who, when, where, what, etc.  Immediately you can guess it is the morning, Aksinya wakes.  She is in a cell under the Rathaus.  She is alone.  She has her blankets and the single dress she has been wearing, unwashed, for days and perhaps weeks.  She recites the rosary.  There isn't much more I need to tell the reader.  You can build the scene from the information provided.  Whatever your idea of a dreary cell is sufficient and all that the writer should inject.  If the cell is different in any way, for example, a flower sat in a bucket in the corner.  That is a reason to describe more for you.  If there are cracks in the cell, then I don't need to tell you that unless the cracks have a metaphorical meaning or the cracks will come into play later in the work.  Remember, nothing extraneous should be included in the writing.  Everything must have a purpose.

The action begins with Aksinya, but moves very quickly to the special action.  The guards come to the door, and you get more details of the process of security before allowing visitors.  I also give you the impression of time and repetition by calling attention to the "drill."

We see the first visit by Father Dobrushin and Mataruska Ekaterina to Aksinya.  You know why this is important and this visit allows me to tell you much about Aksinya's confinement and the secular trial that is about to occur.

The theme for this scene and section is the destruction of Aksinya's friends.  The kickoff for this theme is Father Makar.  Perhaps he was not really Aksinya's friend, but because he fears for his place in the community and the Orthodox Church, he will not visit her.  You know he was trying to protect and yet keep everyone away from Aksinya.  Aksinya makes the correct observation: "Everyone else who has befriended me has been ruined.”  Father Dobrushin reassures Aksinya that they won't abandon her.  The words of Father Dobrushin are very important.

Aksinya makes another observation that is important: “All of that was the demon’s doing."  From the moment Aksinya called the demon, everything that has happened has been the results of the demon's actions.  We will discover much more about the results of the demon's actions and the ecclesiastical trial tomorrow.

A New Novel, Part 237 There are Other Charges

29 May 2011, A New Novel, Part 237 There are Other Charges

For those who haven’t been following this blog, let me introduce it a little. I am currently blogging my 21st novel that has the working title Daemon. The novel is about Aksinya, a sorceress, who, to save her family from the Bolsheviks, called and contracted the demon, Asmodeus. Her family was murdered anyway, and she fled with the demon from Russia to Austria.

Aksinya is in the residence of the Cardinal of Wien awaiting an ecclesiastical trial for sorcery.  Aksinya is recovering from her experience in the cold cell under the house.  The Inquisitor Esposito comes to speak to her about her defense...

“This is the Inquisitor Esposito.  I’m here to speak to the prisoner about her defense.”

Frau Becker nodded, and Frau Mauer opened the door.

The stocky priest inquisitor entered the room.  He wore his usual priestly robes.  Frau Becker stood.  The priest walked up to the bed and cocked his head and observed Aksinya for a long moment.

Aksinya turned her face away, “Please, Inquisitor Esposito, I feel very uncomfortable under your scrutiny.”

He smiled and sat in the chair Frau Becker had left.  “Sorry,” he didn’t sound sorry, “I just wanted to take a careful look at you.”

“Why?”

“I’ve never seen a sorceress like you.”

Frau Becker snorted, “Have you ever seen a sorceress at all?”

      He glanced annoyed at Frau Becker, “Actually, no. Might I have a private discussion with the Fraulein?”

      Frau Becker brought a chair from the small table and put it on the other side of the bed, “Actually, no.  Frau Mauer and I will chaperone the Fraulein while you are here.”

      Aksinya smiled, “Thank you very much, Frau Becker.”

      The expression of the priest’s face didn’t change, “Very well, but if she must confess, you will have to move far enough away not to hear.”

      Inquisitor Esposito took out his briefcase and pulled out some papers and a fountain pen, “Now Fraulein Golitsyna, you must realize the charges of the Church against you are very serious.”

      “That I am guilty of sorcery, I confess.”

“You confess it?”

“Yes, I freely confess this.  I already confessed sorcery along with all my acts against God to my Orthodox priest, Father Dobrushin.”  Aksinya rushed ahead, “I would like to speak to Father Dobrushin.”

“That is not possible.”

“Why not?”

“He is Orthodox and not permitted at your trial.”

“I am Orthodox—does the same rule apply to me?”

The inquisitor ignored her, “There are other charges.”

So, we set the scene.  You know the where and the when.  The whos are defined except the new character.  We have met him before, but I use a technique to remind you of that description.  Therefore, he is the stocky priest.  I give you an abbreviated description based on his previous description.  This places him firmly in the scene and we can move forward from there.  The conversation like most of the scenes in my novels drives the scene.

Notice, the inquisitor has never seen a sorceress before.  He has to stare at Aksinya.  This is an advanced writing technique that shows you this little fact.  The conversation lets you know this information.  The actions by the inquisitor are embarrassing to Aksinya and to the ladies in the room.  His actions would never be allowed a cultured man in the society.  They are allowed only because Aksinya isn't being treated like a person, but we knew that.  You don't put young noblewomen in cold cells (or try them for sorcery).

Frau Becker is culturally aware--she will not let the priest act in a way that is not honorable.  She will not allow him to be alone with Aksinya.  Though the inquisitor thinks nothing of breaking cultural norms because Aksinya is a sorceress.  He shows that he thinks she is already guilty as charged.

The inquisitor brings out his papers.  This was one of his characteristics in the original description--the briefcase.  Aksinya surprises the inquisitor by freely confessing to sorcery.  She recounts that she has already confessed in the Orthodox Church, and she asks to speak to her confessor.  The little play between Aksinya and the priest are meant to show how intelligent she is and to press the point of the authority of the Catholic Church to try her.  It doesn't work, but it was worth a try.  The inquisitor points out that there are other charges against Aksinya.  We will learn those tomorrow.

A New Novel, Part 218 You Have Been Accused of Sorcery

10 May 2011, A New Novel, Part 218 You Have Been Accused of Sorcery

For those who haven’t been following this blog, let me introduce it a little. I am currently blogging my 21st novel that has the working title Daemon. The novel is about Aksinya, a sorceress, who, to save her family from the Bolsheviks, called and contracted the demon, Asmodeus. Her family was murdered anyway, and she fled with the demon from Russia to Austria.

Aksinya is in the street before her house.  Two men are removing all her goods from the house, and she is surrounded by police officers and priests.  The policemen have just told her she is under arrest...

“Under what charge?”

At that moment, the two priests stepped up to them.  They stood close behind Aksinya, but not too close.  Aksinya stepped back a little and rotated so she could address all of them together.  The taller priest had a thin and nervous face.  His eyes were piercing.  He wore a thick woolen cloak over his shoulders, but that didn’t hide the collar and dark robes under it.  The other priest was dressed similarly, but his face was less tense and a little rounder.

The tall priest sniffed and jerked his head up.  His German was tinged with a heavy Italian accent, “Who are you, officer?”

“I am Captain Gerber and this is Sergeant Nagel.  We are here to arrest the alleged Countess Golitsyna.  And you?”

“I am Archinquisitor Gallo and this is Inquisitor Esposito.  We are also here to arrest the alleged Countess.”  The Archinquisitor sniffed, “Is this she?”

Captain Gerber frowned, “She has made that claim.”

“Then it is simple.  We will take the Fraulein into our custody.”

Aksinya snarled, “Inquisitors?  Take me into custody?  What do you mean?”

Archinquisitor Gallo sniffed again, “It is always the same with these people.  They never imagine they have done anything wrong.”

Aksinya ducked her head, “I know I am guilty of much wrong, but I would like to know exactly what I am accused of.”

The Archinquisitor let out a slight smile, “Well that’s refreshing.  This should make things easy.  The main charge against you Fraulein Golitsyna, if that is your real name…”

“Of course it is my real name.”

“Hum, as I was saying before you rudely interrupted me.  You have been accused of sorcery.  That is the main charge.”

Aksinya’s hand rose to her cheek, “The main charge?”

“There are many others.”

“But I am Orthodox… You have no jurisdiction over me.”

“You claim to be a member of the nobility.  You have been a student in our Catholic schools.  You have made claims within the framework of the Austrian aristocracy.  Your actions have affected members of the church and its leadership.  We are allowed under the laws of this empire and the Catholic Church to accuse you and try you.  This is well established in law.  We also possess authority above that of the secular authorities.  Captain Gerber, you may have her following our trial.  For now, we will take the Fraulein into our custody.”

Captain Gerber wasn’t so easily cowed, “This is highly irregular, Father.  I need to check with my superiors.”

“You may check all you will, but I have both a secular warrant and an ecclesiastical one.  Inquisitor Esposito, the documents please.”

     The Inquisitor brought out a case with papers, riffled through it, and pulled out an official looking document with church seals on it.  He pulled out another with the seals of the Austrian courts.  He handed both to the Captain.

Did you wonder if things could get any worse for Aksinya?  Father Dobrushin told her not to leave the Ecclesia.  He didn't have any idea this would happen, but the logical flow is spectacular.  The police were watching for her.  The priests were watching for her.  And these aren't normal priests--these are inquisitors.  Did you wonder if there were still inquisitors in the Catholic Church--well, there are.  I'm am not taking any liberties at all here.

Note, in the scene setting, I describe the priests to you.  I use the priests to introduce you to the policemen.  We will see them again--yes, we will.  Likewise, I use the policemen to introduce the priests to you.  Isn't this a fun use of showing and not telling.  If you watch, they all ignore Aksinya.

Aksinya isn't happy with being arrested by either group.  Listen to the Archinquisitor's response, and more telling, Aksinya's.  Aksinya has come to terms with herself--do you remember why she came here in the first place--she wishes to accept her just punishment.  The Archinquisitor treats Aksinya like a thing or a child.  I intentionally made him to not be nice.  Inquisitors just can't be nice--it's not allowed.

Aksinya has a good point, but she is Orthodox and the Archinquisitor is right--all the things he mentions gives them authority to try her under the Catholic Church.  The Orthodox Church might have something to say about it, but do you think they will ask?  By the way, none of this is made up.  This was established law at the time.  This law was similar in all Catholic nations.  All the laws and legal procedures I will show you in this book are 100% accurate for the times.  The inquisitors have all the documents they need to take Aksinya into custody.  Now, think of this.  Even if Aksinya can somehow get out of an eccesiastical trial, she still has to face some kind of secular action--the police have a warrant for her too.  At this point, we don't know what it is, you might guess.  Tomorrow, Aksinya is taken into custody.