A New Novel, Part 309 Kiss Me, I Want You to Kiss Me

9 August 2011, A New Novel, Part 309 Kiss Me, I Want You to Kiss Me 
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.

Dobrushin and Aksinya married--this is part of the plan Dobrushin believes will rid Aksinya of the demon.  For better or worse, they are bound together in this.  We are not sure of the outcome.  They have come to the room Dobrushin took in the hotel near the center of Wien... 

Dobrushin pointed to the door on the left in the room, “There is the bath.  It has a toilet.”

Aksinya nodded.

At the last, Dobrushin took an open container of incense and placed it before the fireplace.  He lit it with the taper then fished in his vest pocket for Aksinya’s surety.  He glanced at her and then placed the necklace and locket on the smoking incense.  Aksinya could already smell the gentle bite of frankincense.  Dobrushin returned to the door.  He returned the taper to its holder.

Dobrushin took her hand and blushed, “I’m sorry.  I forgot to get you any nightclothes.”

Aksinya trembled, “I won’t need any.”  She raised her face to his, “Kiss me.  I want you to kiss me.”

Dobrushin took her in his arms and put his lips on hers.  Aksinya threw her arms around his neck, “I don’t understand what this kind of love is, but I want to know it with you tonight.”  She pressed her lips to his and wouldn’t stop kissing him.

Finally Dobrushin finally disentangled her arms from his neck.  His face was red, “Come, my love, we need to ask God to show us mercy and keep us in safety.”

Aksinya’s breath released in gentle pants.  She nodded.

They knelt at the side of the bed, he took her hand, and Dobrushin prayed, “We praise you God of our fathers.  We praise your name forever and ever.  Let the heavens and all your creation praise you forever.  You made Adam and also Eve his wife, who was to be his partner and support; and those two were the parents of all human beings.  This was your word: ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; let us provide a partner suited to him.’  So now I take this my beloved to wife, not out of lust but in true marriage.  Grant that she and I may find mercy and grow old together.  Amen.”

“Amen,” Aksinya replied, “Do you love me?”

“I love you.  I married you.”

“Help me take off my clothes.”

Aksinya stood before him expectantly.  Dobrushin took off his coat and unbuttoned his shirt.  Aksinya reached up and fumbled with his buttons.  She smiled, “I’m not very good with buttons.”  She undid one after the other.  A golden cross lay against his chest.  It depended from a necklace.

Dobrushin pulled her to him and kissed her again.

Dobrushin gets out the details that are very important to a woman first--perhaps he was coached by Ekaterina.  Then he prepares the protection against the demon.  Do you remember, in Tobit, Tobias burned the part of the fish in the incense?  Now, Dobrushin burns Aksinya's surety in the incense.  I use some advanced writing techniques to bring in all your senses. 

Once the incense is burning, they take the next step--they are going to bed.  Do you sense the usually well prepared and mature Dobrushin's nervousness and inexperience.  He forgot nightclothes.  Aksinya doesn't care--she may be inexperienced, but she understands what is supposed to go on (or at least she imagines she knows).  She demands to be kissed.  That's when I get to make a statement through her about love.  This is one of the major sibthemes.

Dobrushin is getting worked up too.  Aksinya is just too cute.  She is filled with desire.  He knows what must be done, however, do you remember the scene in the restaurant?  They must complete each step like in the book of Tobit.  The next step is the prayer from Tobit.  If you will note, this prayer is whole in the Orthodox marriage ceremony.  It is a simple prayer.  The prayer, like the Book of Tobit is a turning point in Hebrew thought about the nature of God.  The God of Tobit listens to the cries of his people and answers their prayer.  If you look closely in the Old Testament, the prayers are almost always generic and not directed.  There are a few examples that are, but most are not.  In the Apocrypha, we see prayers to God that are direct and answered directly.  These are very much like the prayers we find in the New Testament.

Aksinya's question to Dobrushin: “Do you love me?”  Then with his answer, she wants to get down to business.  Do you remember that Aksinya seldom took off her own clothing or dressed herself.  She asks for help for more than reasons of sensuality.  Dobrushin doesn't care.  Aksinya begins to help him unbutton his shirt.  Do you remember, she has problems with buttons?  With these writing techniques, I want to build the tension and the excitement but for another reason--you will see why tomorrow.

A New Novel, Part 168 I Won't Fear for My Virtue

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.



Now we are getting down to business.  Everything in the novel before was a setup for what will happen in the next two chapters.  This is the beginning of the climax of the novel...


On Wednesday, Ernst escorted Aksinya to dinner and the opera. He greeted Aksinya at her house with a bouquet of roses. He explained the extravagance, “Because I am working for him, my father increased my remittance.” At each place they visited, Aksinya thought she spotted Asmodeus. She caught a glimpse of him in the mirror at the Palais Coburg Hotel Residenz, and in the grand foyer of the Wien State Opera. A strong whiff of sulfur came to her in both places. When the Champagne and caviar came at the intermission for Tristan und Isolde, Aksinya thought she saw Asmodeus sneaking in the corridor just outside their box seats. Warned by his potential presence, she intended to drink less because of it, but ended up drinking more than she planned.


Before the beginning of the second act, Natalya prepared a blemis with caviar and handed it to Aksinya. Aksinya took the flat piece of bread, “Thank you, Lady Natalya.”

Natalya smiled oddly at her, “Would you care for another glass of Champagne?”

Aksinya cocked her head and grinned back, “Please, as long as you are pouring, Lady Natalya, I won’t fear for my virtue.”

Natalya filled Aksinya’s flute and continued to hand her another blemis with caviar. Natalya wasn’t certain how many times Natalya refilled her glass that evening, but by the end of the opera, she couldn’t stand on her own. Natalya and Ernst had to both help her to Ernst’s landau and then back into her house.

Ernst didn’t kiss Aksinya that evening, at least she had no recollection that he kissed her. She wished he had. She didn’t remember much at all. In the morning, she woke with a splitting headache. A strange whiff of incense and sulfur touched her nose. Someone was opening the shutters of her windows. Aksinya didn’t open her eyes, “Don’t let the sun in Nata. I’ve told you so many times.”

The transition from the buildup of the plot to the climax is just like any transition, but this one isn't just a transition in space or time, it is a transition in action.  Within the form of this novel, you might not notice this short transition as the transition to the climax except that I point it out to you.  That's all right, I don't expect my readers to deconstruct my novels, but in this commentary, I want you to note these very important points both for your elucidation and so you can see the power of story, plot, and theme all together.
 
We see a simple continuance of Ernst's wooing and affection.  There are changes.  We know there are changes in the thoughts of the characters.  Aksinya has a decision to make.  Ernst has made his decisions, but he is awaiting and still wooing.  By the end of this scene, it will be obvious that Natalya has made some decision of her own.  Watch closely, I'll point it out to you.  The demon, Asmodeus, has obviously made some decision (or the culmination of a decision)--something is afoot.
 
A whole bouquet of roses from Ernst.  He is working for his father now.  Ernst is making more money.  They visit their favorite places.  Notice that none of these places were chosen by Aksinya--they are Ernst's favorites.  Plus the places haven't changed--they are the same.  I didn't point this out until now--hope you noticed.  I did it on purpose to indicate to you that Ernst is pleasing himself, not necessarily Aksinya.  There is a metaphor in this--remember Aksinya pleases herself too.  Aksinya is too happy with the luxuria to notice, but she hasn't been wooed before.
 
Asmodeus is everywhere.  This should be an indicator.  I gave you little hints and little glimpses of the demon before.  This time, in  a single paragraph, I give you Asmodeus in person and scent.  I show you him through Aksinya's eyes.  The reason I pack the Asmodeus sightings into a single paragraph is so you won't miss them.  Because of her sightings, Aksinya intends to drink less--so she can keep a steady head, but look what happens... Natalya begins to pour the Champagne for Aksinya.  This is indeed a change.  Usually it is Ernst and Natalya tries to keep some check on Aksinya.  Now, Natalya is providing luxuria to Aksinya.  Aksinya will not reject it from Natalya's hands because, “...as long as you are pouring, Lady Natalya, I won’t fear for my virtue.”  It is not perhaps Aksinya's virtue we should worry about--or is it?
 
This was the decision of Natalya that I mentioned before.  We can see that at some point in the evening or before, Natalya made a decision to get Aksinya drunk.  The purpose, we don't know.  The result we shall see.  Aksinya intended to not become drunk tonight, but she could not reject the temptation from Natalya's hands. 
 
Look at this, the demon has not been in control of anyone at all through the entire novel.  He has only placed ideas in the minds of the characters.  With Aksinya, the ideas have been from subtle to overt.  He has worked subtly through others to tempt or to get them to tempt.  In any case, Aksinya is too drunk to stand, but still awake when Natalya and Ernst take her home.
 
This scene flows intentionally into the next.  It is a direct continuation that I don't want you to miss.  Therefore the physical transition is set in a single paragraph.  Look closely at the details.  The focus is Aksinya--she didn't get a kiss.  She didn't remember the evening after her return to the house.  She has a hangover.  Her room has the scent of sulfur and incense.  The sulfur and incense are very important here.  I know that most of the time, as we read, we might just miss some of these simple details.  This is a critical detail, so I underplay it a little.  If you think back through the novel, you know the scent of sulfur is the demon.  Asmodeus has been in Aksinya's room.  He was there long enough and late enough for the scent to still be there.  Second, the scent of incense in this novel has only been used in a single context.  I won't tell you.  If you remember, you might guess.  Tomorrow, I'll give you more hints.  We'll start from this last paragraph.  Reread today's transition scene.  See that it is simple and downplayed--that is the point.