A New Novel, Part 235 Does It Have Crosses?

27 May 2011, A New Novel, Part 235 Does It Have Crosses?


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.  To prevent Asmodeus from tormenting her, she drew crosses on her clothing and blankets with her own blood.  Once she started the flow of blood, she couldn't stop it.  Frau Becker saved her again...

Aksinya awoke in a bed.  It was warm and comfortable, but she felt light headed.  Someone held her hand.  She turned her head and expected to see the Lady Natalya or at least Sister Margarethe.  She tried to focus on the face near hers.

A weary voice spoke before Aksinya could identify the person, “Why did you try to kill yourself?”

Aksinya still couldn’t focus, “I didn’t try to kill myself.”

“But your wrist…”

“I had to put crosses on my things so he couldn’t take them again.”

“So who couldn’t take them again?”

“The demon…”

Frau Mauer’s voice came from the side, “You see, Frau Becker, I told you that’s what she said.  She begged my thread and a needle to make crosses on her dress and the blankets.”

Frau Becker’s voice hardened, “And you wouldn’t lend them to her?”

Aksinya still could not focus her eyes well, “Frau Becker was the kind woman who gave me the blankets.  I marked them well.”

“You almost bled to death.”

“Still, now the demon can’t take them from me.”  Aksinya moved her free hand around under the covers.  Frau Becker stroked her other hand.  It felt numb and heavy.  Aksinya gave a worried cry, “My dress and my blankets.”

Frau Becker’s voice was soothing beside her, “I dressed you in a nightgown.”

“Does it have crosses?”

“Yes,” Frau Becker lied.

“My blankets…?”

“Are you warm enough now?”

“Yes, thank you.”

There was a slight choke in Frau Becker’s voice, “Before you return to the cell, you will have your blankets.”

“The ones with the crosses.”

“Yes, the ones with the crosses.”

“Thank you.  I feel very sleepy.  As long as there are crosses, I will be safe.”

“Yes, you will be safe.  I’ll sit right here with you.”

“Thank you, Frau Becker.  I am gratefu…” Aksinya’s eyes closed.

“Frau Mauer,” Frau Becker hissed softy, “Sew crosses on her nightgown.”

“But.”

“No buts, do it.  Do it now and don’t wake her.”

“But she’s crazy…”

“I don’t care how crazy she is.  She is in the Archbishop’s charge.  Sew the crosses on her nightgown.”

     “Yes, ma’am.”  Frau Mauer gently pulled the edge of the nightgown from under the covers and carefully embroidered four crosses evenly spaced around the hem.  Then she sewed them on the sleeves.  By the time she was done, Aksinya was stirring and Frau Becker sent Frau Mauer down to the kitchen for food and tea.

I'll give you the revelation that I hope you already saw.  If you didn't see it yourself, once I mention it to you, you will know its truth.  I asked yesterday what could help Aksinya.  She declared her true allegiance and the demon punished her.  She is in dire straights: held for ecclesiastical trial, in a cold prison, her friends have appeared to desert her (do you remember what she said to Natalya: "everyone will betray or desert me."), she is trying to do the best she can by herself.  There are no miracles here for Aksinya--or are there.  In real life there are few miracles, but we see a small one before us. 

Frau Becker has been a miracle for Aksinya.  She rescued Aksinya twice.  She did this even though she believes Aksinya to be insane.  This is the revelation--it doesn't seem like much. It isn't a miracle at all, but it is real for Aksinya.  It makes a difference for Aksinya.

In this scene, we see the initial scene setting.  At first, I don't want you to know any more than Aksinya.  You experience her waking in a bed.  You wonder with her exactly where she is.  She is light headed from blood loss.  I don't need to tell you the reason, just the results.  She imagines that she is back under the care of her friends, Natalya and Margarethe.  We know that can't be.  The first question is the one we dreaded: “Why did you try to kill yourself?” In the Catholic Church at the time, this was an important question.  Aksinya is ambivalent.  Aksinya is self destructive, but she has never thought about killing herself.  She answers directly--she can't do otherwise. 

That's when the full ramifications of Aksinya's apparent insanity strikes Frau Becker.  Listen to Frau Becker's response.  She isn't mad at Aksinya, whom she imagines to be insane.  She is mad at Frau Mauer because the Frau wouldn't loan a needle and thread to a poor, insane, girl who was imprisoned for sorcery. 

Don't you love Frau Becker?  She is the kind of absolute pragmatist that puts real action to what she knows is right.  She doesn't care about the accusations against Aksinya, she cares about Aksinya.  This is the kind of reaction that is a firm contrast between the truth (we understand in the world of the novel) and the truth of the real world (represented by Frau Becker).  Frau Becker's response to Aksinya is very different than Faru Mauer or the inquisitors.  It is more akin to Father Dobrushin or Ekaterina.  Yet, where Father Dobrushin and Ekaterina seem to believe Aksinya to a degree, Frau Becker does not.  It is enough for Frau Becker to simply help someone she believes is helpless.  I set up this character to show this for just this reason.  Just as I gave you Father Makar to show you one who doesn't believe Aksinya, but who's compassion is stifled because he can't be compassionate for Aksinya, I wanted you to see someone who could have simple compassion for a person, not because of who they were, but because of their need.

Frau Becker doesn't care if Aksinya is insane--she berates Frau Mauer because she wouldn't help.  This is a result of Frau Becker's pragmatism.  That's the point of the entire conversation.  This is the point all the way to the white lie Frau Becker tells to the insane girl to comfort her.  I hope you like this lie because it does no harm, and immediately, Frau Becker acts to repair it.  She orders Frau Mauer to sew crosses on the nightgown.  Such a simple action that has such important meaning for a single pathetic girl.  This is the true meaning of compassion, and do you see the extent of the revelation?  Although Aksinya faced the torment of the demon.  Although he own actions led to more problems.  Still, she was saved, and she was provided a savior, a help if you like.  Frau Becker was the one who helped.  Tomorrow we shall see that she is even more help although she can't stop the freight train that is approaching. 

A New Novel, Part 234 She May Be Dying

26 May 2011, A New Novel, Part 234 She May Be Dying


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 locked in a cold dark cell under the residence of the Cardinal of Wien.  Aksinya knows Asmodeus will return to torment her.  Unless she can put crosses on her dress and blankets, he will take them from her.  She uses her own blood to draw crosses on them.  Unfortunately, she can't stop the blood once she started it...

Frau Mauer screamed and jumped up.  Aksinya’s eyes closed and she slowly lay on the bench.  The release of the pressure on her vein let the drip become a slow stream.  Frau Mauer screamed again and ran toward the kitchen. 

Frau Mauer grabbed Frau Becker’s arm, “The sorceress has committed suicide.  She is bleeding everywhere.”

Frau Becker’s face clouded and her eye twitched, “Get the Secretary, immediately.”

“What will you do?”

“Just get the secretary.”

Frau Mauer nodded vigorously and ran off. 

Frau Becker grabbed the kitchen axe from the wood pile and ran to the corridor that held Aksinya’s cell.  The guards didn’t attempt to stop her.  She glanced at Aksinya and the growing pool of blood and chopped at the lock on the door.  The old wood splintered satisfactorily under the axe and the door swung open.  Frau Mauer grabbed Aksinya’s wrist and immediately the flow of blood stopped.

Secretary Schwab followed by Otto stopped at the entrance to the cell.  Frau Mauer didn’t wait for them to say anything, she yelled at them, “Get the doctor now.  I’ve stopped the blood, but she may be dying.”

They almost trampled Frau Mauer as she hobbled down the corridor toward them.

This scene is very straightforward.  The results of Aksinya's experiment are not good.  She achieved the markings she wanted, but she couldn't stop the flow of blood.  The demon couldn't imagine this result--could he.  Whether he did or not, the result will be the same.  It appears that Aksinya has tried to commit suicide.  Although Frau Becker stopped the blood, what will the result be for Aksinya.  It seems that she is slowly falling deeper and deeper in to a place that is impossible to recover from.  Sad since she had the spiritual strength to face down the demon and pronounce her freedom from him.  We see that she is not free from the demon.  She has placed her trust in the right place, but Aksinya's problem is like all of ours.  Do you remember Paul's great cry of dismay?  "I do those things I don't wish to do and not those I know I should do."  Still, can there be hope for Aksinya.  If there is hope for her, perhaps there is hope for any of us.  Tomorrow, she wakes. 

A New Novel, Part 233 I Might Need Some Help

25 May 2011, A New Novel, Part 233 I Might Need Some Help

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 locked in a cold dark cell under the residence of the Cardinal of Wien.  Last night, Aksinya almost died of exposure because the demon took her dress.  Now, she is back in her cell with warm blankets, but unless she can mark them with crosses, the demon could take them away...

Aksinya sat back and pouted.  She felt much better, but she knew that wouldn’t last long if the demon returned and took her dress and the blankets from her again.  She only knew one way to fight Asmodeus.  She thought for a while about how she might put crosses on her clothing and the wonderfully warm blankets.  After a long time, there was only one thing she thought she could use.  Under the cover of the blankets, she began to prick at her hand with a sharp point of her rosary.  After a few minutes she drew some blood and made a couple of satisfactory crosses on the hem of her dress.  At that point, she couldn’t get much more blood without going deeper into her hand than she wanted to.  She thought for a while then began to prick at the large vein at the side of her wrist. 

She cut through and gave a slight gasp.  She glanced up to see if Frau Mauer heard her.  The old woman didn’t stop sewing.  Aksinya was surprised at the amount of blood the little nick drew.  With blood, she marked the collar and sleeves of her dress.  Then quickly put crosses at the corners of the woolen blankets.  When she was finished, she held the place on her wrist she nicked, but it wouldn’t stop bleeding.  She had nothing to use as a bandage, and she was becoming a little faint.

Since she had marked everything, she thought it was safe to say something to the Frau.  Aksinya cleared her throat and tried to speak.  She couldn’t say anything at first and her sight began to dim.  Finally, she forced out, “Frau Mauer.”

The old woman didn’t turn, “I’ll not give you any thread or a needle.  You needn’t ask again.”

“Frau Mauer, I don’t need them anymore, but I might need some help.”

Frau Mauer leaned over and clucked her tongue.  She turned toward Aksinya.  Aksinya held out her arm.  A bright drip of blood ran down her hand and dropped to the stone floor.  It spattered into a growing puddle of blood on the ground.
Frau Mauer screamed and jumped up.  Aksinya’s eyes closed and she slowly lay on the bench.  The release of the pressure on her vein let the drip become a slow stream.  Frau Mauer screamed again and ran toward the kitchen.

Aksinya moves from one problem to the next.  Do you see how the demon is still driving her even when he isn't present.  There is a great allegory in this.  You do recognize that Aksinya's actions are literally the only thing she can do.  If she does not make crosses, the demon will take her dress again, and she will suffer greatly.  She choses to use her own blood to protect herself.  As a side note, Aksinya is selfish in this, just as all of us are selfish.  She doesn't want pain and suffering.  She doesn't want the demon to take her clothing and blankets.  She doesn't want to be cold.

Unfortunately Aksinya makes a slight error.  In her hurry to find some blood, she pricks too large a vein and she can't stop the flow of blood.  I use some fun advanced writing techniques to show you what is happening.  Plus, I interject a little humor. 

Remember, Aksinya is cold.  She is undernourished.  She has only blankets and thin clothing.  Although she isn't bleeding very much--it is enough to make a difference.  Frau Mauer thinks Aksinya has tried to commit suicide.  Do you imagine this might be part of the demon's plan?  Suicide is an unforgivable sin for the Catholic Church.  Aksinya's actions will appear to be a suicide attempt--or success.  Tomorrow, more help?

A New Novel, Part 232 I Must Put Crosses on my Dress

24 May 2011, A New Novel, Part 232 I Must Put Crosses on my Dress 

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 locked in a cold dark cell under the residence of the Cardinal of Wien.  Aksinya almost died of exposure because the demon took her dress.  Now, she is back in her cell with warm blankets, but the demon could take them away...

After Secretary Schwab, Otto, and Frau Becker departed, Frau Mauer took her position again beside the door.  The moment Aksinya finished praying her rosary she felt better, she called to the Frau, “Frau Mauer, may I borrow a needle and thread?”

Frau Mauer took a quick glance at Aksinya.  Aksinya sat on the bench wrapped in the blankets, “Of course you may not have a needle and thread.  What would you want with something like that anyway?”

“I must put crosses on my dress.”

“Crosses on your dress?  You are a strange one.”

“If I don’t he’ll just take it off me again.”

Frau Mauer stared at Aksinya and nervously fumbled her sewing, “Did you lie to the secretary and Frau Becker?  Did some man molest you?”

“The demon took off my clothing to punish me.”

Frau Becker’s eyes widened, “I think Frau Becker is right, you are crazy.”

“I may be crazy, but I need to put crosses on my clothing and on these blankets.”

“You shan’t get any needles or thread from me—not unless the Secretary himself instructs me.”
Aksinya sat back and pouted.  She felt much better, but she knew that wouldn’t last long if the demon returned and took her dress and the blankets from her again.  She only knew one way to fight Asmodeus.  She thought for a while about how she might put crosses on her clothing and the wonderfully warm blankets.  After a long time, there was only one thing she thought she could use.  Under the cover of the blankets, she began to prick at her hand with a sharp point of her rosary.  After a few minutes she drew some blood and made a couple of satisfactory crosses on the hem of her dress.  At that point, she couldn’t get much more blood without going deeper into her hand than she wanted to.  She thought for a while then began to prick at the large vein at the side of her wrist.

Frau Mauer is Aksinya's guard again.  Aksinya asks for a needle and thread, but Frau Mauer won't loan them to her.  Aksinya tells the Frau exactly why she needs the needle and thread.  Do you remember, the effect of the crosses on the demon.  The crosses did prevent Asmodeus from removing Aksinya's clothing.  She knows they can protect her in the cell.

Frau Mauer's thoughts are not pleasant.  She can't imagine anything good about Aksinya.  Do you see that her reaction and the reaction of Frau Becker will be the reaction of everyone else.  If Aksinya imagines a demon, she must be crazy. 

Since Aksinya can't get Frau Mauer to give her a needle and thread, she must discover another way to protect herself.  Aksinya is used to using blood as a sacrifice.  This time, she is using blood to protect herself, but it isn't through a spell.  She is using blood to make crosses on her clothing and blankets.  Aksinya may be resourceful, but she just is too innocent and naive.   Tomorrow, success, but at what price.

A New Novel, Part 102 She's Dying

Aksinya achieved a great enchantment in the streets of Wien to save Natalya and Sister Margarethe. The power of the world flooded back on her and injured her. She is dying...



Before Aksinya fully woke again, the pain overwhelmed her. She gasped out of sleep with a cough that sent blood and phlegm down her cheeks. Warm gentle hands caught her face and turned her head. She felt the relief on her lungs and her body. Liquid flowed down the side of face. She opened her eyes and saw the dark slick trickle that stained her bed and ran across the sheets. A voice called to her. It was soothing and kind. It was in German accented French.

Aksinya focused her eyes away from the side of the bed and saw that Sister Margarethe held either side of her face. The nun’s lips moved with the French words. As yet, Aksinya couldn’t make them out. She moved her eyes and extended her vision. Natalya leaned against the door with her hands over her face. Aksinya knew tears flowed down her lady-in-waiting’s cheeks. That was just her personality.

She turned her gaze back on Sister Margarethe. Aksinya wanted to pull away from the nun, but she couldn’t rally enough strength to move. She tuned her ears to hear the French that flowed from Sister Margarethe’s lips.

“…we think some of your bones are broken, Countess.”

Aksinya couldn’t respond.

Sister Margarethe’s face was tracked with tears. Her hands held Aksinya so tenderly, but she didn’t want this woman to touch her. Sister Margarethe’s voice caught, “Can you hear me, Countess?”

Aksinya nodded and gasped again in pain.

“The doctor is coming. They said he should be here soon.”

Aksinya shook her head. She put every effort she could into a breath without a cough, “Natalya.”

“Do you want the Lady Natalya?”

Aksinya coughed and nodded. A trickle of blood leaked from her lips.

Sister Margarethe didn’t want to move, she called across the room, “Lady Natalya, the Countess is calling for you.”

Natalya let out a sob and rushed to Aksinya’s side, “My Countess. What can I do? What can I do?”

Aksinya grasped her hand and pulled her with all her might down close to her face. She spoke Russian, “Alone…help.”

Natalya whispered back in Russian, “Do you want Sister Margarethe to leave?”

Aksinya nodded.

Natalya half stood. A tiny hysterical pitch filled her perfect but Russian accented French, “Please, Sister Margarethe, you must go.”

“Go?”

Natalya glanced down at Aksinya, “You may wait outside the door, but you must leave us for now.”

Sister Margarethe didn’t want to let go of Aksinya. She stammered, “Are you certain?”

Aksinya’s grasp on Natalya’s hand tightened, and Natalya’s voice strengthened, “You must go. Please leave us alone. I’ll tell you when you may return.”

Aksinya didn’t have the strength or the ability at that moment to say that she did not want Sister Margarethe to return at all.

Slowly, Sister Margarethe stood. She backed toward the door. Aksinya began to cough. Sister Margarethe cringed at the sound, but Natalya put her arms around Aksinya. The nun left the room and shut the door. Natalya ran and locked the bedroom door behind her.


Aksinya wakes and I show you the extent of her injuries without telling you anything about them. I also introduce you to a mystery--who is caring for her. Sister Margarethe is the last person Aksinya desires to see. Aksinya believes the sister is sexually drawn to her--the demon has convinced her of this.


Natalya can't be far away, but Natalya can't face the suffering of Aksinya. Aksinya knows this. Through the sister, I show you what you might have guessed from before. Some of Aksinya's bones are broken. Although the sister seems to be compassionate, Aksinya can't stand to have her around. The person Aksinya really needs right now is Natalya--can you guess why?


Aksinya uses everything she has to express this to the sister. Aksinya needs to be alone with Natalya. Natalya is bright, she gets it. The reason why will be revealed very soon. Every action of Aksinya is to get Sister Margarethe out of the room. The reason isn't that she fears the sisters sexual proclivities right now. Natalya gets it. When the sister leaves, Natalya locks the door. We shall see tomorrow what Aksinya has in mind.