Claudio Nicola De Portu
San Juan, June 23, 1920
19:30, Julien Jean Bouvier Mansion

Claudio Nicola De Portu is looking the fragments of his face on the silverware. They are shiny bright like diamonds under the candles' flame but they do not come from the same cutlery. Each one of them had engraved on it the initials JJB but a few had engraved Bouvier's coat of arms on it. He could bet in a heartbeat that this wasn't by accident. Bouvier family had more silverware than anyone else in San Juan. Their formal dinners had always been the centre of San Juan's social life. Financial deals, arranged marriages, secret affairs and deals with the politicians always started and were sealed with the finest red wine on that very table. There must have exactly 30 pieces of silverware with Bouvier's coat of arms on it. Whoever the host might be, he/she wasn't going to appear any time soon.

Jean Julien died a week ago. The host must have had full access and knowledge of the mansion to prepare that dinner. It was obvious to a man like Claudio who had spent all his life at dinners like this one, that everything placed on the table had at least one hidden meaning. This wasn't going to be another boring dinner while chatting about the suffering of being despicably rich, regardless the fact that this wasn't true for most of them. They were invited on a stage and abandoned there to improvise with no script but minor details that didn't seem right. 30 pieces of silverware were the sign of treason. A traitor was dining that evening among them. Devil hides in details but all that he could see was horny devils mumbling to one another looking forward to drink their absinthe and vanish in oblivion for one more night.

He started cutting his almost raw meat with his knife. "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them" John 6:56. He looked at the red wine on the table. The expensive crystal was sparkling as it was getting darker. "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day." John 6:54. They weren't invited to honor Jean Julien's memory. They were invited to join Jean Julien in death. He took his glass and drunk a sip of wine. He wasn't afraid of death. He had been crossing hell's fires all his life so there was no doubt in him that whenever he died, he would be sent to heaven. He thought of himself flying around with a pair of huge, white wings, a halo on his head and a little harp, chanting the hymns he knew by heart and grinned.

No angel wings for him. La Noche de San Juan was more suitable. They were at the purgatory and nobody deserved salvation. He looked at the empty seat ahead of him. It was Jean Julien's seat. He used to sit next to his right hand, the most important guest's place so that they could talk with each other while he made it clear to the guests that Claudio was still his favorite without speaking a word. At the seat next to his left arm was the lover he had at that time and since there hasn't been a Misses Bouvier so far, on the opposite head of the table was sitting the lover he wished for her vices.

Since only Jean Julien knew his past at the convent, he figured out that he wasn't invited as someone to pardon him postmortem but as his widow. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" Matthew 5:3. The host seemed to have a twisted sense of humor. All that it was left to discover was whether he/she had anything to lose. If that wasn't the case, he/she was dangerous to all of them far beyond death. The fires were burning outside the house. The biggest of all was inside the house and despite the unlocked doors no one could avoid walking on it and through it at the same time once dinner was served.

He noticed Belen pushing her food aside. Deprivation has always been her favorite punishment. "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" Matthew 7:7 She longed for nothing but punishment and suffering. People show to others what they recognize as love by the way they love themselves. Nary a man -or a woman- had ever taught her how to love herself, so she was condemned to walk on Sisyphus' shoes. She was thirsty but whenever she approached water, the water was draw away. She was hungry but whenever she reached food, the food was draw away as well. In the end she developed the habit to do that on her own, showing off her suffering. After all there is no point in suffering, if there's no one there to feel sorry for you, is there?

It had been ages since he last felt sorry for another human being and he paid the price for it. He knew that Belen's image was an illusion. That woman could survive everything like a cockroach. Any woman who makes a conscious decision to live without her child can endure anything that human or God's mind can conceive as suffering. Nevertheless that fact didn't make her any less annoying to his ears and eyes. She was a drama queen and her cheap show was on once more. Despite her awful acting, she had managed to persuade more people than any famous actress on stage about absurdities that no one would ever pay attention to in case she had been born ugly or poor.

He watched her almost screaming that she had killed Jean Julien with a knife by stabbing him in the heart. Belen had all that time to prepare her great entrance and this was the best she could come up with? Even if Jean Julien was drunk and stoned, he could easily push her anorexic, fragile figure away. Women like her never use knife as the weapon of their choice. They despise the blood and its mess. Killing is a premeditated piece of art for them and never a barbaric mess. People look but they fail to see. It was obvious that Belen was a cold blooded killer like everyone on the table but she would rather eat her food than be sloppy.

What life has taught me so far is always listen carefully to someone's confession. Some are so eager for redemption that they confess their crimes even before they commit them. Belen confessed taking a life for the innocent's life she abolished. No one on the table was innocent to make the equation right. It would take every sinner's life and still the innocent's one would be heavier on judgment day. So Belen was determined to kill us all and this still wouldn't be enough. She was determined to take her own life as well. She decided that she had nothing more to lose. Belen was a threat to every one of us, unless I could find out her weakness, the only thing that she still cared about and take it away from her.

Something matters to you a bit more than the things that you are willing to sacrifice for it. Jean Julien knew it well and it was about time Belen was given the same lesson as well.
I took a closer look at the food served. Only mine was almost raw. The other enjoyed their crispy meat. I despised crispy meat. It was ruined. Every precious, delicious flavor was lost or even worse distorted. The host knew me as well as Jean Julien did. That could mean only one thing.
I would have to confront him/her soon and so far I hadn't discovered any imperfection to the plan. Imperfections are the road to weaknesses of human nature. Once you know them you can rule them.

"I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12.
Victor kept talking with Varian who was standing next to him. A blind painter was the mistress of the deceased Jean Julien according to his very own art de la table and like every respectable widow; he was already hunting for the next feeder. Variant seemed to be like a late debutant nevertheless he already knew that cello was neither the organ he had mastered all those years not the one that would make him famous.
"Truly I tell you" Jesus replied "This very night before the rooster crows twice; you will deny Me 3 times" Mark 14:30
Claudio looked at Lolita giving drugs to Irene. Opium and morphine were eating their flesh like wild dogs did to Jezebel.
"Throw her down!" Jehu said. So they threw her down and some of her blood spattered the wall and the horses as they trampled her underfoot. Jehu went in and ate and drank. "Take care of that cursed woman" he said "and bury her, for she was a king's daughter". 2 Kings 9:33-34.
The dentist was trying to comfort Belen while making excuses for being late. It was equally repulsive to hearing his excuses of being poor. You can smell the scent of poverty if you pay close attention even if you are blindfolded. They have that distinct smell that's close only to death's suffocating scent. Decay was consuming him, breath by breath, vulgarity by vulgarity.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." Matthew 5:7
Claudio unlocked his face mask and placed it on the table without speaking a word. He raised his head and looked at the guests. He lacked his right eye and a big "Y" was inscribed on his face.
- "Today you are driving me from the land and I will be hidden from Your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me" but the Lord said to him, "Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.

- Varian de Veyra you pray at midnight's time that the Albino Crow will always guide you at the paths between worlds. You've patiently waited for a sign that you work is valued by your brothers. Do you recognize my sign?
- You can't be Albino Crow's Son. He was perished and ostracized the minute his hands were covered with his sister's blood.
- I am the Prince of the Port, time's fragment between night and dawn. I am a rightful apostle by blood and you are a wolves' shepherd. Seven days ago you were reborn. Seven days ago you got yourself a new name. "Seth, Son of Adam, brother of Cain"
I have no rightful brothers, only half breeds. You are neither the first, nor the last.

Claudio stood up and got close to Varian. Each knife of his had Jean Julien's coat of arms on it. He took one and stubbed Varian's hand on the table
"But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise." Exodus 21:23-25

- Jean Paul learned from you who I used to be, didn't he? Are you so naïve as to believe that he didn't know?
He knew everything and he didn't care whether I was the son of Albino Crow or Purple Spider.

Varian grabbed another knife with his other hand and stubbed Claudio's hand on the table.

- "Hand for hand" Father Claudio Nicola, Varian told him as he was removing the knife from his own hand. You were Jean Julien's gift to me so that he would join us. Out of great respect to your father I am not signaling for you to be killed.
- I dare you to kill me. Soon you will be wishing for a merciful death but Mysts aren't familiar with that, Claudio answered back and removed the knife.
- I know that I am not allowed to lay my hand on you. What you fail to acknowledge is that with Jean Jullien's offer, I am now one of the Apostles. I possess power that you never had.
- Think again, Claudio said and removed his jacket and his shirt and turned his back to Varian.
- "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5
- The Albino Crow is You! Varian mumbled and along with Victor, Hannah Lolita, Alondra and Irene bowed to the ground.
- If you paid less attention to flattering and more to your books, you would have known it from the very first time you laid your eyes on me.

Belen who has finally decided to sit down and shut up, started speaking once more.
" And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted—nevermore!"

She picked up the plate in front of Jean Julien's seat. Someone had written "The Raven" on it.

- Even if Varian didn't know who you were, Jean Julien obviously did
"Till I scarcely more than muttered "Other friends have flown before—
On the morrow he will leave me, as my Hopes have flown before."
Claudio approached her as she was falling on the floor, finishing the verse:

" ...Then the bird said "Nevermore."

- It was You Claudio, who invited us here tonight, wasn't it? said Victor. I never liked you. I had to put up with your dead soul because of Jean Julien but Jean Julien isn't alive any more. You are right. No one can kill you because you are already dead.
Belen fell on the floor and shortly after the rest of the women followed along with Harvey.
- You killed them! Like you killed Jean Julien, Victor shouted to Claudio as he was falling on the floor.

- "Angel full of beauty, do you know wrinkles,
The fear of growing old, and the hideous torment
Of reading in the eyes of her he once adored
Horror at seeing love turning to devotion?
Angel full of beauty, do you know wrinkles?"

Claudio put his bloody hand on Varian's face.

- "Angel full of kindness, do you know hatred,
The clenched fists in the darkness and the tears of gall,
When Vengeance beats out his hellish call to arms,
And makes himself the captain of our faculties?
Angel full of kindness, do you know hatred?"

Varian took off his jacket and his shirt. He turned his back to Claudio and went on speaking

- "Angel full of happiness, of joy and of light,
David on his deathbed would have appealed for health
To the emanations of your enchanted flesh;
But of you, angel, I beg only prayers,
Angel full of happiness, of joy and of light!" and bowed in front of Claudio.

- Jean Julien knew you were not the last of our bloodline. My silence protected you all that time, not the mark on your face but he wanted to become the first in my Order. You had no doubt that you were the last one. I am Seth and you will be the last one soon. Varian fell on the floor, between the rest of the corpses.
Claudio looked around. Everyone was either dead or dying. Belen had poisoned the Absinthe. He was the only one who despised it.
He watched the fires burning outside the house. He took a candlestick and went to the window. He bowed and let it on the floor next to the curtains.

- "O you, the wisest and fairest of the Angels,
God betrayed by destiny and deprived of praise,
O Satan, take pity on my long misery!
(The curtain was burning when he came back with one more candlestick for the next one)
O Prince of Exile, you who have been wronged
And who vanquished always rise up again more strong,
O Satan, take pity on my long misery!
You who know all, great king of hidden things,
The familiar healer of human sufferings,
O Satan, take pity on my long misery!
(He took the wine from the table, poured it on the corpses and then set them on fire)
You who teach through love the taste for Heaven
To the cursed pariah, even to the leper,
O Satan, take pity on my long misery!
You who of Death, your mistress old and strong,
Have begotten Hope, — a charming madcap!
O Satan, take pity on my long misery!
You who give the outlaw that calm and haughty look
That damns the whole multitude around his scaffold.
O Satan, take pity on my long misery!
(Soon the bodies were all on fire and the flames were expanding to the furniture)
You whose clear eye sees the deep arsenals
Where the tribe of metals sleeps in its tomb,
O Satan, take pity on my long misery!
(Claudio stood in front of the fireplace and took Jean Julien's portrait and threw it to the floor's flames)
You who put in the eyes and hearts of prostitutes
The cult of sores and the love of rags and tatters,
O Satan, take pity on my long misery!
Staff of those in exile, lamp of the inventor,
Confessor of the hanged and of conspirators,
O Satan, take pity on my long misery!
(He stood on the balcony of the burning house in the middle of the night facing the fires in front of him)
Adopted father of those whom in black rage
— God the Father drove from the earthly paradise,
O Satan, take pity on my long misery!
... and he jumped to the ground.

Nary a whisper of contempt or pity for him
Nary any word for his soul
Take care of that cursed man and bury him
for he was a king's son.

---------------------------------

This was one out of 11 stories, created for Decameron 2.0.

Team Secrets was created by Queen @Nyhterides and consisted of great writers who co-wrote a story about a mysterious invitation by a murdered host. Anyone of the guest had reasons to kill him but who was the one who actually did it?

@BelitAm

@KarlOConnor

@Finnyh

@johannahefer

@CyrilBunt

@LLSanders

@johannahefer

@prose-punk 

Hosted by rskovacj , Book's Title: The Decameron 2.0