Patricia Mason - Sacrifice In Stone

Sacrifice In Stone

By Patricia Mason

(Copyright 2010 and 2012)

Table ofContents

Maras fingertip stroked his forearm,tracing the hard bulge of the muscle. Finally! After five excruciating years ofsearching, shed found him. The knot that had been a fixture in her chest forso long unfurled and she breathed deeply. Her fingers played along his wristand then down the hand. She couldnt help touching him over and over.

Wow. Her friend Lucy spoke at Marasside. Hes magnificent in all his naked glorywell, semi-naked anyway.Too bad the sculptor didnt lose the pants. I bet the rest of him is wow to thesecond power.

Yes, wow, Mara said absently, barely registering herfriends bubbly tone.

A statue of a man, with a body rivalingMichelangelos David, was positioned in profile, a block of marble at his back.His outstretched right hand grasped at the air. A dagger was gripped in hisleft hand at waist level. Below the knee, the figures legs were mired inmarble. The figure seemed to strain to emerge from the block, as if at anysecond he would step out and continue to walk across the room.

Displayed in a dimly lit back corner ofthe art museum, far from the traffic of patrons viewing a visiting exhibit, thestatue stood virtually hidden. A spotlight shone down from the overhead track,illuminating the shoulder.

Only by a chance reading of a magazinearticle extolling the little-known tourist sites in Savannah, Georgia, had Marafigured out where he was. Even then, she had not been certain shed found himuntil five minutes ago when shed walked through the door.

Sacrificein Stone. Unfinished sculpture in marble. Age unknown. On loan from ananonymous private collection. Mara read out loud from the plaque on the wall.She knew Mr. Anonymous was her uncle, the patriarch of her wealthy family,Hobart Rushworth.

Now what? Lucy asked.

Good question. Mara couldnt bringherself to tell even her best friend the crazy tale of how her obsession withthis statue had begun.

Now we go back to our hotel. Despiteher words, Mara couldnt tear her eyes away from him. I grew up with thestatue at our familys estate. Then one day he was gone and my uncle wouldntexplain what had happened to him.

After a few moments of silence, Maraglanced at her friend. Lucy was staring at her with a glare that screamed, Youare so full of it.

Really, Mara said for emphasis. I justwanted to see Sacrifice again onemore time.

Come on. Try to sell that line tosomeone who doesnt know you. Lucy perched her hands on her hips. You didntdrag me all this way just to look at a statue for five minutes and then gohome. Youre up to no-good. Youve got caper written all over you.

Dang. She should have known she couldntbullshit her best friend.

All right, she said. Youre going togo back to the hotel. Im going to hide in here and stay overnight. This wasSunday and the place would be closed Monday. Time enough to accomplish what shewanted to do.

Kumquat.

Huh?

Oh, Im sorry, Lucy said. I thought wewere just spewing out nonsense.

Its not nonsense. The security in thisplace is minimal. They dont even have interior motion detectors.

How do you know?

Do you see any mounted in these rooms?No. The only sensors are on the doors and windows. I wont get caught.

Thats not the point. Shaking her head,Lucy pulled Mara to a seat on a bench at the center of the room. Spill, girl.Ive waited a long time to hear what it is about this thing that fascinatesyou.

Youll think Im crazy.

No I wont. I may think youre brave,loyal, compassionate, caring, and that you can be reckless and foolhardy whenyoure trying to protect someone you love, but I wont think youre crazy.

Yes. You will.

Have I ever said you were crazy forstanding up to your uncle? That guy is a monster. The feeling in Lucys eyestouched Mara. I saw the bruises he left on you after your parents died and hebecame your guardian. I promise I wont think youre crazy.

Mara ignored the choking sensationthinking of her parents could still raise in her throat.

Okay then. Here goes. She took a deepbreath. When I was seventeen, I think I saw Sacrificeat least part of himcome to life, sheblurted.

You were right. I think youre crazy.Lucy placed her hands on her hips. In fact, youre the mayor of crazy town.

Thanks a lot.

Sorry, but how am I supposed to believethis?

I know, I know. Dont you think Ivewondered if I imagined the whole thing? Some sort of delusion brought on bywishful thinking? Congenital insanity? Some explanation other than a statuecame to life?

I vote for wishful thinking overcongenital insanity, Lucy said wryly.

This explains where Sacrifice came from. Placing the oversized messenger bag shecarried onto the floor beside her, Mara opened the flap, extracted a journaland handed it to Lucy. The journals brown leather cover was worn and crackingwith age. Opening it to the center, Lucy ran a finger over one of its parchmentpages covered in calligraphy-style writing in a reddish-brown ink.

Flipping back to the first page, Lucyread the title aloud. Transfero Vita.Slamming the volume shut, she handed it back to Mara. Just tell me what itsays. You know I didnt pass Latin class.

Maybe a demonstration would be better.Mara jumped off the bench and strode to the statue. Glancing around to assureherself she and Lucy were still alone, Mara scraped the palm of her hand alongthe tip of the marble dagger gripped in the statues hand. Blood welled in thecut.

Lucy gasped.

Mara squeezed at the cut, forcing outmore blood.

Stop, Lucy whispered furiously as sheleapt from her seat and raced to Maras side. Youre hurting yourself. Lucytried to grab Maras injured hand but she jerked out of reach.

No, let it bleed. The bright redcontinued to well and flow. Mara turned her palm and grasped the statues stonehand, smearing the blood on its surface.

Weve got to get you to a hospitalamental hospital, Lucy gasped.

Patience, Mara said, inclining her headtoward Sacrifice. Do you see hishand?

I see a bunch of your blood all overit, Lucy muttered.

Really look at him, Luce.

The tips of the tapered fingers of thestatue went from rigid alabaster to a pink and then took on a healthy goldencomplexion. The color change gradually spread from the fingertips back acrossthe hand to the wrist and then up the forearm. As it spread, Maras bloodseemed to seep in and disappear.

I must be crazy too, Lucy said with asputter.

Mara smiled. Feel his skin. Its warmand alive.

Just then, the dagger dropped, clatteringon the hardwood floor. Youve broken it, Lucy said, scooping up the weapon.

The fingers on the statues hand moved,jerky and uncoordinated. Then his fingers turned to caress Maras hand. Thecaress turned into a grasp.

Lucy screamed.

Instinctively, Mara jerked her hand fromthe grip of the statue. Shhhh, Mara said. Do you want us to get caught?

As she said the words, a woman enteredthe room. Whats going on back here? The middle-aged matron in sensible healshad a voice only a couple of octaves higher than James Earl Jones. Oh my.Youve cut yourself.

Mara glared briefly at Lucy. She wasrelieved to see her friend had at least the sense to hide the stone daggerbehind her back. Mara turned her attention to the woman. Yes. Im afraid itstartled my friend.

Can I get you a bandage?

No, Im all right, Mara said.

Really? It looks like a nasty cut. Thewomans gaze abruptly fixed on the statue. Hmm. Thats strange.

What? Lucy croaked, earning herself aglare from Mara.

I could have sworn this statue washolding a dagger in his left handand his other hand was in a differentposition.

Mara glanced at Sacrifice and saw the hand, now returned to marble whiteness, hadfixed with fingers open and palm up. As the woman stared at the statue, Lucythrust the stone dagger into Maras hand. Mara shoved it into the deep pocketof her cotton dress.