Of Murder and other Dark Deeds

Chapter 8: The Box

The Great Hall was dark and silent. Even the skylight above was covered to hide the little light far away stars could give. The audience held their breath as they waited in the darkness. Ashan could hear her heartbeat faintly. She took a deep breath... Then the drums began their beats in sync with her heart. Dum dum. Dum dum. Dum dum. A spotlight illuminated the stage. The same one that shined on Gallard during the dinner... No, don't think about that now...

Six women appeared on stage, wearing revealing dresses covered with brightly coloured feathers. Almost as one, they started to dance as the rest of the orchestra began playing their instruments. It was an odd tune, unfamiliar to Ashan, yet it was cheery and energetic. Most of the dancers were in tune with the beat, never missing their mark, perfectly executing the choreography. Ashan noted that one dancer was out of sync. Her timing was off by a second, nearly missing every mark. Head on a platter... She was a dancer... the victim... Pearl, was it? That must be her understudy dancing out of sync...

Ashan's mind raced through the last week's events once more, images flashing in her mind... Then a voice calmed her, returning her to the present. Next to her, Randal Sharpe leaned closer, whispering in her ear. "Did you know Lord Gallard himself choreographed this number?" his voice calmed her. She forgot about the past as blood rushed to her cheeks.

Ashan shook her head. "Really? I did not know he had such a passion for the arts." She whispered back.

The dancers stood in a line, arms interlocked, kicking their legs high into the air. "Gallard was one of the first nobles to visit Old Earth." Randal continued. "There, he saw a performance that inspired him so much that he spent the better half of a year perfecting his own version of it. He even hired an Earthling to help him craft this number. It is truly magnificent..."

The music flared. The routine became more intense as the dancers let go of each other. Their movements became familiar to Ashan. Flowing like Elysian dances. Ashan never missed home more than now. The Dionysus had something for everyone, true enough, but if not for Randal, Ashan would have never explored the ship and all it had to offer. From exotic restaurants to performances and plays that explored other cultures in the Wider Universe, The Dionysus really had much to offer. If not for Randal, Ashan would have stayed in her room, cowering in fear, as her mind dwelled on the horrors she had experienced since boarding the ship...

Since her room was ransacked, Ashan slept in Randal's room. The veteran actor was kind enough to offer her his bed. He slept on the couch. But Ashan sensed he wanted more. She wanted more... But something kept her back. Was it fear? Or something else. The atmosphere onboard the Dionysus was changing. A change that became more apparent when another murder occurred in the shopping centre.

Rumours were abundant, but the latest murder was different. It made the other guests afraid. Ashan could sense it... She was afraid too. Even now, in the darkness, Ashan could feel something staring at her. She knew there were others in the hall, but it could just as well be her and Randal alone. It was never Randal, though, staring at her in the darkness. She shifted awkwardly in her seat as she felt the eyes studying her. But there is never anyone there. It must be my imagination...

"Are you ok?" Randal whispered. He often asked her that.

"I think so." She replied. "Just tired."

"Do you want to return to my room?"

Ashan gulped. Does he want something more? Or am I imagining that also... "No... Not yet." She whispered back... It was a lie. She wanted nothing else than to return to the room. To be with him... Alone.

On stage, the routine changed again. From the flowing Elysian dancing to a faster pace, violent even, Heroshian movements. As they moved, the feathers changed as well. Raven-like feathers now took the colourful feathers' place, the reveal causing the audience to applaud. Ashan was transfixed. She could not move her eyes away from the dancers. Still, her eyelids felt heavy. She closed her eyes for but a second.