EYES OF ANOTHER

On Monday Ian called Liz to let her know he’d gotten home safely.  After thanking her for inviting him to such a lovely party, he asked that she pass his thanks to Djalma.

“I love you, dear friend,” he said.

“And I, you, sweetie,” she replied.

“I’ll let you know when I’ve made another visit,” he assured her.

A couple of days later, Ian realized he had not taken the teapot into the study since the evening of his last visit with Katerina.  Remembering Djalma’s speculation that he, not the items in the room, was the portal now, Ian removed a few more items from the study.  In an act of daring, he moved the Fauvist painting into the guest room, and the cane-bottomed chair to the living room.  He had really wanted them in those rooms for some time but had not dared take the chance.  He also made a note of what he had moved and where, just in case he still needed their psychic assistance.

Just so his friends would not worry, Ian called Liz a little later that week.  They had a good talk.  She had not seen Djalma for a few days.  Ian told her he was not considering attempting a visit until the following week.

As eager as he was to see Katerina again, Ian’s inner wisdom seemed to provide a contented patience.  He could not say why he felt he needed to wait.  But as long as the respite felt right, he would wait.  In time that same judicious part of him gave Ian the go-ahead for more time with Katerina.  The next few visits, however, made him question whether that supposedly wise self really knew what it was doing.  He did not know what made the difference between the visit that had introduced the Sacred Vow and the next few that followed, but it turned out not to be an easy time for him.

With no more rational understanding than Ian had when he knew not to attempt a visit, one day after work, Ian’s intuition led him to go into the study and sit on the couch.  For a little while, he leaned back thinking of nothing, shaking off the workday.  Without particular forethought, he pulled his legs up and crossed them.