Chapter 4 WHITE AND BLACK

A ravishing daughter of Darlia rendered her liquid grey eyes wide even as she let out a gasp of shock.

She was adorned with about a dozen ornaments that were made of precious metals and decorated with precious stones, hence the adorable cast to her head, neck, limbs and chest, with respect to jewellery, well emanated the greatness of her chic; she had uncommon glamour like a queen of pulchritude, moreover, the pieces of jewellery glistered.

Her raven tresses were bedecked with a jewelled golden circlet, and, the front of the circlet, sitting just below her widow's peak, beautified her velvety brow.

She was arrayed in a silver figure-hugging maxi and a pair of black leggings, kneeling on a white fleecy mat in the heart of an enormous pentagram that was formed from many lighted white candles, and her made-up countenance and off-white complexion made her even more comely.

She possessed velvety skin. Her lissom waist was girded with a wide leather belt that was studded with silver. Her maxi was sleeveless and made of silk, and its skirt was cut vertically on either side, from the lower hem up to the waist. The name of the fair bachelor girl was Zeranah.

Zeranah was in a titanic basement room that was well lit by several oil lamps and wall-mounted torches as well as the candles that formed the pentagram. The pillars in the basement room were decorated with statuettes.

Zeranah was not all by herself in the basement room. Betwixt the pentagram and the passage that opened onto the basement room, Lord Golrus was sitting in an easy chair, watching Zeranah and seething with seemingly prolonged suspense.

He was in a pair of dark trousers, a shirt and a hooded dark mantle. His feet were in a pair of polished leather boots. He was more or less eight yards away from the pentagram.

Zeranah was startled lest the rape of the habitations and the instigation of intense captivity, plus the plenteous slayings caused by Lord Golrus' black army were a pellucid portent, moreover, she was a clairvoyant.

She was pensive and mute, gazing at the wall that stood more or less a dozen yards ahead of her. Lord Golrus, disregarding underlying dread, was not a sightless wight who could not perceive that Zeranah was consumed with astonishment.

He narrowed his eyes. A tinge of stillness formed a paradox with his growing anxiety. It seemed as though Zeranah might remain speechless until the end of the livelong day. Her eyes were still wide, staying that way as though the normal of a blink should hardly exist.

"Be not terrified of whatever you've foreseen," Lord Golrus advised, deploying the tone of a comforter. "I saw you quivering awhile ago, but necromancy is something you do always."

Zeranah looked at Lord Golrus sideways for a split second and a calm light appeared to be in her eyes, hereupon she resumed her gaze at the wall ahead. Lord Golrus, owing to the manner at which Zeranah had looked at him, felt that Zeranah was disdainful of him.

He knitted his brow and made the hood of his mantle fall onto his back. He arose and betook himself to the heart of the pentagram. He squatted before the maiden who took in his saturnine mien and vacantly contemplated him. Perhaps the colleen was unwilling to speak, as though she had sent him to Coventry.

"If you had known me very well, Zeranah, you would have seen that I'm not a very patient man," Lord Golrus hissed. "I cannot wait to hear of what you have to say about my future."

Zeranah was staring at Lord Golrus sans dread. "What I've foreseen isn't just about you, Your Lordship," she said. "I can well say that it relates to you and this entire island."

Lord Golrus gave a sigh and then a grin, and, however, he had not yet heard about what Zeranah had only just foreseen. Maybe he had a strong hunch that Zeranah had good news for him.

Zeranah deemed that Lord Golrus was expecting to hear words with regard to great purple patches and greater wealth and such. Bloodbath, war, the black arts, captivity and such were not good things in the clairvoyant's sight, and she had a good reason to feel sorry for Lord Golrus at this point in time.

Perhaps she felt that Lord Golrus was a merry spirit who was bound to meet a false dawn, and she thought that very mighty powers of darkness could yet take control of his entire head.

"Make me wait no longer," Lord Golrus smiled.

"I'm sorry that the omen isn't good," said Zeranah sadly. "I would not want to hear of it if I were you. It might fill your heart with nothing but sorrow."

Lord Golrus could not stop ire from glinting in his eyes once again. "Did you think that I hired you for nothing?" he growled. "Did you think I sent words to you so that I may gain pleasure from your beauty? Did you think I paid you in gold so that I may listen to chickenshit that intends to be words of comfort?"

"I do not want to hurt you or kill your hopes," Zeranah ventured. "What you seek to hear can bring you fear and make you hate your own life."

"Is it worse than terror?" Lord Golrus breathed. He seemed despairing, for his eyes had just turned dull. "Will I pass on very soon?"

"I'm starting to doubt my foresight because of what I know about you and all that I've foreseen about your future," Zeranah replied. "You do not seem a sorcerer to my eyes."

"Did I become a sorcerer?" Lord Golrus queried.

The maiden nodded almost invisibly, hereupon her eyes were downcast. "Your deeds in the future may become very terrible," she said sadly. "This island-it might become a battlefield. So many people might perish. The survivors might become your captives. I do not know how you would become a sorcerer."

Lord Golrus set his mien calm and held Zeranah softly by the hand. Zeranah, having lifted her eyes, stared at him. She felt the warmth of his palms, and the touch was fighting her foreboding as to an apocalypse on the island.

"Tell me everything I seek to know," Lord Golrus breathed. "Let my problems be mine alone to deal with."

Zeranah shook her head. "Do not be so optimistic," she said.

"I know what I'm saying," Lord Golrus smiled. "I can avert the troubles if I know what is going to happen. Let me know about my future and I shall make a perfect change."