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monaboyd Feb. 23rd, 2007 11:20 pm)
hyacinth-sky747.livejournal.com posting in monaboyd Feb. 23rd, 2007 11:20 pm)Death in Paradise
d/b
Author's Note: I read Death in Venice and this happy tale springs from it. There is hurt but there is also comfort. Blame Pip, who writes the best h/c and makes me want to write it too.
The sun had been limitless that season. Billy and Dom had swum and surfed and boated and bicycled until they were nothing but tan skin and muscle. In June they ate strawberries fresh from the fields outside the city and, as July sauntered past, they tried to eat as many different dishes with blueberries as possible.
“The corn will be in soon,” Dom said, trying unsuccessfully to capture a blueberry on his breakfast plate with a spoon.
“Entirely too much roughage,” answered Billy. He had been hiding behind the newspaper but he tossed aside to admire Dom’s blueberry-stained face.
“I’m glad we’re by the sea this summer. Everywhere else is sweltering.”
“Even Antarctica? It’s winter down there you know.”
“Perhaps not Antarctica, but…have you read the paper?”
“I’m on holiday.”
“London and Paris are broiling. New York’s not any better. It’s been a hot summer all over. There’ve been a lot of deaths.”
Dom looked troubled.
“Seems like that old global warming thing is not just a myth.”
“Seems that way.”
“It’s hot here too.”
“The locals say it’s the hottest summer on record.”
“Lucky we’re surrounded by water.”
“Yes.”
Dom stood up and shouted down to the water. “A fine job, sea! Excellent surrounding! Nice cooling work!”
Billy pulled on Dom’s sleeve until he sat. The diners at the surrounding tables twittered at them and went back to their meals. Dom shrugged.
“I just felt I ought to say thank you.”
~*~
Over the next two weeks the temperatures rose. The humidity was unbearable. Brown outs forced the government to call for a mandatory conservation of electricity. The hotel shut off the air conditioning.
Billy and Dom took to sleeping during the warmest part of the day, so did the rest of the city. At eleven the shops closed, all but the fool hearty found a quiet patch of shade. The streets were deserted; even the sea was empty of bathers. The heat made even the water feel hot and sticky. After the sun set the restaurants would open for dinner. The hotel served a selection of salads and cold soups. No one wanted anything hot. Candles were lit to save the burning of electric lights.
Dom and Billy would dine and then go to the beach for a midnight swim. Others would do the same. The shore was dotted with flashlights. Children wore green, glowing necklaces. The sea was calm and flat, even on the north shore where the waves normally pounded in a fury. Dom found the whole situation exhilarating and strange and…eerie.
“How long do you think the heat will hold?”
“How long is it until winter?”
Day after day the heat soared relentlessly. Movie houses were packed at midday. The city opened air conditioned shelters. The hospitals filled up with the aged and the young.
“Should we leave do you think?” Dom asked.
“Where would we go?”
“New Zealand? See Pete? It’s winter there.”
“We’ve paid up until the end of September. It will break soon.”
After two weeks of hundred degree weather Dom noticed a sweet smell on the air.
“Do you smell that?”
“Yeah.”
“What is it?”
“Dunno, some crop?”
“You’re not serious.”
“I don’t know, Dom. Rot? Some fungus? I don’t know.”
~*~
Billy looked troubled at breakfast.
“They don’t have The Times.”
“Whatever will you do?”
“They don’t have any newspapers in English.”
“Get one in German. I’ll translate. It will go like this: It’s hot all over. Also, humid. Humid and hot. Officials warn you to stay out of the sun.”
“They don’t have any foreign papers. Just the local ones and who can read them?”
“The locals?”
“It makes me nervous.”
“Don’t be daft, Bill. The distributor probably had a delay. I’m sure all the foreign papers are delivered by the same company.”
Billy smiled. “You’re right. I’m being silly.”
“What was that, Bill?”
“I’m being silly.”
“No, not that part.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You said, I’m right.”
“I’d never say that. The heat must be getting to you.”
~*~
Three days later Billy tracked down the hotel manager and inquired after the missing newspapers.
“Nothing to worry about Mr. Boyd. We’ve had a delay in the shipment.”
“It’s been three days.”
“Island time, Mr. Boyd. Can I bring you a beverage?”
“Relax Bill. I’m sure the library has the internet.”
After their siesta Billy and Dom strolled down to the library. Few people were on the streets and the sickly sweet smell that Dom had noticed before was stronger in the center of the city. There were yellow signs taped to the street posts that neither of them could read. The library had a yellow sign too. This one was written in several languages. Closed Until Further Notice.
~*~
The hotel seemed quieter the second week of the heat wave. At first, Billy had blamed the heat, the lack of energy, but as he looked around the dining room he noticed that there were fewer people.
“People are leaving, Dom.”
“I noticed.”
“I’m starting to think that New Zealand might not be a bad idea.”
“I was right,” Dom said smugly.
Billy pretended not to hear.
~*~
Dom cursed. He sat heavily on the bed and fumed. He cursed again. He threw his mobile across the room.
Billy chose that moment to walk in and be hit in the head with it.
“Oof!”
“Oh, shite. I’m sorry, Bill. I wasn’t aiming for you.”
Billy looked pale. He was shaking.
“Christ, did I hurt you?”
“No, no it’s not that.”
“Is it the heat? You shouldn’t have gone out this time of day. Sit. I’ll get you some water.”
Billy sat and accepted the water gratefully. It was warm. Everything was warm.
“Bill?”
“Sorry, Dom. It’s just…the ferries aren’t running anymore. We can’t leave here that way.”
“What?”
“Is your mobile working yet? Maybe we could get someone to…”
Dom shook his head.
“Yours isn’t working either and…and there’s no long distance service off the island.”
Dom was silent then, thinking about the ferries and letting his own news sink into Billy.
“What the hell is going on, Dom?”
“I don’t know. I think…I think we’re being quarantined, Bill.”
They sat for a long time in silence, each trying to master his fear. After a while Billy shifted in his seat.
“I know it’s hot but…come sit by me? Just for a minute? I feel so…alone.”
Dom stood and flung himself around Billy.
“You’re not alone. We’re in this together, Bill.”
“I should have listened to you. You wanted to leave and I…”
“Shut up, I wasn’t half serious when I said that. You couldn’t have known.”
“I won’t let anything bad happen to you. I promise.”
“Shut up, Bill. I mean it. We’ll be fine. We’ll go down to the docks and hire someone to take us off this bloody rock. We’re fucking movie stars for fuck’s sake. We can afford it. We can afford to save our own lives.”
Billy trembled.
“There aren’t any boats, Dom. I looked. Only the naval boats cruising offshore. Only rowboats or kayaks. It’s forty miles to the mainland. Everyone that knew to get out is gone, and all their hope with them.”
It was Dom’s turn to tremble, and though it was too hot, they sat holding on to each other for a long time.
d/b
Author's Note: I read Death in Venice and this happy tale springs from it. There is hurt but there is also comfort. Blame Pip, who writes the best h/c and makes me want to write it too.
The sun had been limitless that season. Billy and Dom had swum and surfed and boated and bicycled until they were nothing but tan skin and muscle. In June they ate strawberries fresh from the fields outside the city and, as July sauntered past, they tried to eat as many different dishes with blueberries as possible.
“The corn will be in soon,” Dom said, trying unsuccessfully to capture a blueberry on his breakfast plate with a spoon.
“Entirely too much roughage,” answered Billy. He had been hiding behind the newspaper but he tossed aside to admire Dom’s blueberry-stained face.
“I’m glad we’re by the sea this summer. Everywhere else is sweltering.”
“Even Antarctica? It’s winter down there you know.”
“Perhaps not Antarctica, but…have you read the paper?”
“I’m on holiday.”
“London and Paris are broiling. New York’s not any better. It’s been a hot summer all over. There’ve been a lot of deaths.”
Dom looked troubled.
“Seems like that old global warming thing is not just a myth.”
“Seems that way.”
“It’s hot here too.”
“The locals say it’s the hottest summer on record.”
“Lucky we’re surrounded by water.”
“Yes.”
Dom stood up and shouted down to the water. “A fine job, sea! Excellent surrounding! Nice cooling work!”
Billy pulled on Dom’s sleeve until he sat. The diners at the surrounding tables twittered at them and went back to their meals. Dom shrugged.
“I just felt I ought to say thank you.”
~*~
Over the next two weeks the temperatures rose. The humidity was unbearable. Brown outs forced the government to call for a mandatory conservation of electricity. The hotel shut off the air conditioning.
Billy and Dom took to sleeping during the warmest part of the day, so did the rest of the city. At eleven the shops closed, all but the fool hearty found a quiet patch of shade. The streets were deserted; even the sea was empty of bathers. The heat made even the water feel hot and sticky. After the sun set the restaurants would open for dinner. The hotel served a selection of salads and cold soups. No one wanted anything hot. Candles were lit to save the burning of electric lights.
Dom and Billy would dine and then go to the beach for a midnight swim. Others would do the same. The shore was dotted with flashlights. Children wore green, glowing necklaces. The sea was calm and flat, even on the north shore where the waves normally pounded in a fury. Dom found the whole situation exhilarating and strange and…eerie.
“How long do you think the heat will hold?”
“How long is it until winter?”
Day after day the heat soared relentlessly. Movie houses were packed at midday. The city opened air conditioned shelters. The hospitals filled up with the aged and the young.
“Should we leave do you think?” Dom asked.
“Where would we go?”
“New Zealand? See Pete? It’s winter there.”
“We’ve paid up until the end of September. It will break soon.”
After two weeks of hundred degree weather Dom noticed a sweet smell on the air.
“Do you smell that?”
“Yeah.”
“What is it?”
“Dunno, some crop?”
“You’re not serious.”
“I don’t know, Dom. Rot? Some fungus? I don’t know.”
~*~
Billy looked troubled at breakfast.
“They don’t have The Times.”
“Whatever will you do?”
“They don’t have any newspapers in English.”
“Get one in German. I’ll translate. It will go like this: It’s hot all over. Also, humid. Humid and hot. Officials warn you to stay out of the sun.”
“They don’t have any foreign papers. Just the local ones and who can read them?”
“The locals?”
“It makes me nervous.”
“Don’t be daft, Bill. The distributor probably had a delay. I’m sure all the foreign papers are delivered by the same company.”
Billy smiled. “You’re right. I’m being silly.”
“What was that, Bill?”
“I’m being silly.”
“No, not that part.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You said, I’m right.”
“I’d never say that. The heat must be getting to you.”
~*~
Three days later Billy tracked down the hotel manager and inquired after the missing newspapers.
“Nothing to worry about Mr. Boyd. We’ve had a delay in the shipment.”
“It’s been three days.”
“Island time, Mr. Boyd. Can I bring you a beverage?”
“Relax Bill. I’m sure the library has the internet.”
After their siesta Billy and Dom strolled down to the library. Few people were on the streets and the sickly sweet smell that Dom had noticed before was stronger in the center of the city. There were yellow signs taped to the street posts that neither of them could read. The library had a yellow sign too. This one was written in several languages. Closed Until Further Notice.
~*~
The hotel seemed quieter the second week of the heat wave. At first, Billy had blamed the heat, the lack of energy, but as he looked around the dining room he noticed that there were fewer people.
“People are leaving, Dom.”
“I noticed.”
“I’m starting to think that New Zealand might not be a bad idea.”
“I was right,” Dom said smugly.
Billy pretended not to hear.
~*~
Dom cursed. He sat heavily on the bed and fumed. He cursed again. He threw his mobile across the room.
Billy chose that moment to walk in and be hit in the head with it.
“Oof!”
“Oh, shite. I’m sorry, Bill. I wasn’t aiming for you.”
Billy looked pale. He was shaking.
“Christ, did I hurt you?”
“No, no it’s not that.”
“Is it the heat? You shouldn’t have gone out this time of day. Sit. I’ll get you some water.”
Billy sat and accepted the water gratefully. It was warm. Everything was warm.
“Bill?”
“Sorry, Dom. It’s just…the ferries aren’t running anymore. We can’t leave here that way.”
“What?”
“Is your mobile working yet? Maybe we could get someone to…”
Dom shook his head.
“Yours isn’t working either and…and there’s no long distance service off the island.”
Dom was silent then, thinking about the ferries and letting his own news sink into Billy.
“What the hell is going on, Dom?”
“I don’t know. I think…I think we’re being quarantined, Bill.”
They sat for a long time in silence, each trying to master his fear. After a while Billy shifted in his seat.
“I know it’s hot but…come sit by me? Just for a minute? I feel so…alone.”
Dom stood and flung himself around Billy.
“You’re not alone. We’re in this together, Bill.”
“I should have listened to you. You wanted to leave and I…”
“Shut up, I wasn’t half serious when I said that. You couldn’t have known.”
“I won’t let anything bad happen to you. I promise.”
“Shut up, Bill. I mean it. We’ll be fine. We’ll go down to the docks and hire someone to take us off this bloody rock. We’re fucking movie stars for fuck’s sake. We can afford it. We can afford to save our own lives.”
Billy trembled.
“There aren’t any boats, Dom. I looked. Only the naval boats cruising offshore. Only rowboats or kayaks. It’s forty miles to the mainland. Everyone that knew to get out is gone, and all their hope with them.”
It was Dom’s turn to tremble, and though it was too hot, they sat holding on to each other for a long time.
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