Marco approached from the car, which was parked a good distance from them. Halkatla looked at him somewhat anxiously. Quickly and somewhat falteringly she said, “Now you are resuming your duty of watching over Tova I suppose there isn’t any further need of me?”
They could sense deep-felt fear in every syllable she uttered.
But Marco said, “Do you recall what was decided about you? That your trustworthiness was to be tested once in the course of our journey to the Valley of the Ice People. You are being tested now. But do you know? We like your company. So if you wish you may continue on this dangerous mission with us.”
Halkatla let out a shriek of relief and joy and was about to fling her arms around Marco’s neck, but that wouldn’t have been appropriate at all – even she knew that.
Tova was happy to hear it, too. And the girls could embrace one another as much as they wanted.
“Marco, I would like a private word with you,” said Tova, breathlessly.
“Now, now,” said Halkatla, “Don’t you try to seduce him.”
“Get in the car and sit with Morahan, Halkatla,” Marco said calmly. “He needs to be under constant observation.”
Tova couldn’t help firing a revengeful response back at her, “Watch out so you don’t seduce him!”
“Can’t you girls talk about anything else?” Marco sighed.
“Oh, yes,” Tova answered saucily. “I could talk about how we are on a deadly mission that we don’t stand a chance of surviving, that several of our allies and family members have already been killed after just twenty-four hours, and ...”
“Okay, you win!” Marco smiled, and Halkatla waved at them cheerfully as she returned to the car.
Tova and Marco sat down on one of the worn benches in the parking area. He leaned his elbows on the coarse picnic table.
“Where is Rune?”
“Halkatla scared him off I suppose: she was becoming a bit too indiscreet.”
Marco held back a sigh and then said, “So you wanted a word with me?”
Tova tried her best to forget the fatal effect his presence had on her and said lightly, “I wanted to talk to you about Morahan ...” She began by appealing to him. “Marco, you cured the fatally ill Marit of Svelten and gave Rune human life ...”
“That wasn’t my doing,” Marco interjected quickly. “It was specially chosen black angels.”
“Okay, well, Marit of Svelten, then. Can’t you also help Morahan?”
“Is that your wish?” he asked with a searching gaze.
“Of course! He doesn’t deserve to die so young.”
“No, he seems rather sympathetic. But I don’t think I can, Tova. As you know, I’m more human than black angel now. “
“But couldn’t you try?”
“And give him false hope? Furthermore, the process would be utterly demanding, for me as well as him.”
“Especially for you, I imagine,” she said.
“Yes, and when I don’t have my full power ... but perhaps we can try afterwards. I’ll be back to my old self then.”
“If there is an afterwards. But Morahan can’t wait that long, you know that.”
“Yes, I know. But no, I don’t dare to embark on an experiment like that. To reverse the dying process at such an advanced stage is beyond my capacity right now. But Tova, you mustn’t doubt that we are capable of getting through the very difficult mission that lies ahead of us. If you lose faith, then you’ve lost most of the battle.”
“No, damn it, I’m a hundred per cent prepared to kill that confounded devil.”
“Is it really necessary for you to curse so uninhibitedly, Tova?”
“It most certainly is, it helps keep me motivated. No, I’ll try to drop the habit, I promise ... I think.”
They were quiet for a moment, listening to the sounds of the night around them. The chattering and subdued screams of birds, streams of water from the sudden thaw running down the sides of the mountain, a car in the far distance ...
Tova sat observing Marco’s fascinating face in the darkness. Most of his features were concealed by shadows, and all she could really discern were the contours of his face and his profile. But whatever she was able to see was so perfectly formed that it was almost painful for her to look at.
“Make me beautiful, Marco,” she said in a pathetic voice.
He had been lost in his own thoughts but now he turned to her in surprise. “What in the world for? We like you the way you are.”
“That’s the most egoistic answer I’ve ever received! Why do you like me that way? Because then you have me categorized? Humble and grateful Tova, who brightens up at the slightest attention she gets? I’m sure that’s very convenient for you all.”
His expression changed into a soft smile. “I’ve never thought of you as humble and grateful, Tova.”
“Is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?” she said gloomily with a scowl. “I have only one dream in this life, Marco, and that is to be attractive.”
“But haven’t you discovered yet that being attractive and looking good are two different things? Gabriel, young as he is, has already realized that. And you cling to a ridiculous idea of an ideal beauty that wouldn’t suit you even if you got it!”
“But think of all the time you save if you’re pretty. Do you know how it feels when you are with a group of girls who want to get in somewhere and all the security guards see are the pretty ones, whom they let in right away after a few stupid flirtatious remarks, while somebody like me is left behind and as soon as they catch sight of me their expressions turn sour and you’re practically pushed in just so they can get rid of you.”
“So what you’re after are a few stupid flirtatious remarks from complete strangers?”
She sighed resignedly. “Marco, you’re preaching! I know your lecture by heart. Once somebody gets to know me they’ll love me for who I am and not for how I look. This is what I’ve been force-fed and it hasn’t increased my virtues. On the contrary, it just makes me more aggressive ...”
“Don’t shout,” he said warningly, covering her mouth. “You’ll wake up our friends and draw attention from our enemies.”
“I don’t give a damn!” she hissed through his fingers. Then she calmed down and he let go of her.
“Dear Tova, even if I wanted to help you change your appearance I don’t think I could. I’m not God, you know.”
She shot him a glance as though she had her own opinion about that. Then she said lightly and nonchalantly, “No, I’d better go in and replace Halkatla before she starts screwing around with poor Morahan. She’s dangerous, Marco! What if she were to seduce a man into going to bed with her one day?”
“Just let her try,” Marco smiled. “She had a miserable existence when she was alive, thanks to Tengel the Evil’s curse. No, I’m not so worried about Halkatla.”
“Neither am I. But what about the poor men?”
“She knows her boundaries. But it would be good if you went back to the car. You need to get some sleep.”
“Rubbish! Will you join me?”
“No, I’m staying out here. I want to speak to Rune about tomorrow’s schedule. As I said, I have a plan ...”
They parted, and Tova stood watching him go. His erect silhouette was outlined against