Date: Tue, 29 Mar 1994 03:14:00 BST Reply-To: Highlander TV show stories Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: "Claire L. Maier" Subject: Excerpt 1/2 Color of Our Eyes Excerpt from the novella, "The Color of Our Eyes" by Claire L. Maier Part 1 of 2 Note: "The Color of Our Eyes" is set just after the series episode, "The Watchers" (the second season premiere). "It's been great, Mac, but I'll sure be glad to get home," Richie commented as they hiked toward the last hill. "Mmmm," was Duncan MacLeod's only reply. He was looking forward to seeing Tessa, his "significant other" of over 12 years. Tessa had gone to Europe for a few days to check on a traveling art exhibit she had helped put together, so Duncan had decided to use the time to teach Richie a bit about mountain survival, or, as Tessa teasingly called it, "a male bonding ritual." However, Tessa had probably arrived several hours ago at the cabin that Duncan had built, over 100 years ago, on a nearby island, and Duncan's thoughts were on a certain male-female bonding ritual. He stopped, suddenly distracted. Richie had seen that look in Duncan's eyes enough times to guess the cause. "An Immortal?" Duncan nodded, eased his pack to the ground, and picked up his sword. "Stay here," he said softly, and went to investigate. Richie waited exactly two and a half seconds, then followed. Duncan found his Immortal in a clearing, and stopped, stunned. It was a girl apparently in her early teens, lying on the ground stark naked, unconscious, and covered with blood. There was a small pool of blood between her splayed legs as well, convincing Duncan of the motive of the attack. He shook his head and looked around for Richie, who was at his elbow a second later. Duncan rolled his eyes at him, wondering why he still bothered with telling Richie not to follow him into dangerous situations. "Go get our packs," Duncan said, "and hurry. I don't think she'll be out much longer. And quit staring at her." Richie scampered off, while Duncan found a spot where he could observe the girl but remain unseen. Richie brought the packs to him, and Duncan pulled a blanket out of his own, and then went rummaging in Richie's. "Why you going through _my_ stuff?" Richie complained. "It'll fit her better than mine." "Yeah, pick on the short guy." Duncan found a shirt and a pair of jogging shorts, then gathered the stuff up and told Richie, "Stay out of sight." At least that command was likely to be obeyed. Duncan continued, "We don't know what's happened to her. She might panic. It'll be easier if she doesn't feel outnumbered." Duncan carefully covered the girl with the blanket, and put the shirt and shorts within her reach. He settled down a few feet from her to wait. Within minutes she opened her eyes, then sat up, drawing the blanket around her. She cried out in alarm when she saw Duncan. Duncan said, very quietly, "It's all right; you're safe now. Whoever hurt you is gone." The girl stared dumbly at him, still wide-eyed with terror. Duncan noticed that although she was a pale blonde, and a natural one at that, her eyes were as brown as his own. * * * * Tessa Noel looked through the curtains again for any sign of the hikers, and told herself not to worry, that Duncan was sure to be fine, and he wouldn't let anything happen to Richie. But Tessa's previous certainty over Duncan's safety had been steadily eroding ever since she had learned of the Gathering, and after Duncan's Immortal friend Darius was beheaded by a group of mortals, of all things, Tessa fretted whenever Duncan wasn't exactly where she expected him to be. She tried to keep it to herself, since Duncan absolutely hated to see her upset about anything, especially anything that involved him. However, her resolve to keep cool evaporated when she saw the boat approaching the island, and she ran outside to meet the hikers. "Ummm, Tessa, this is Ellen Ouranos," Duncan said. "She's going to be staying with us for a while. Ellen, this is Tessa Noel." "How do you do," Tessa said formally, shaking hands. The quartet walked inside. "You probably want the first shower," Duncan said to Ellen. "I'll show you where it is." Tessa was waiting as Duncan entered the bedroom. "Who is she, Duncan?" "An Immortal." "I should have guessed. Another old friend of yours?" Duncan took his bathrobe out of the closet and began undressing for his own shower. "Not this time. She's a new Immortal, Tessa. We found her in the woods. She'd been raped and murdered." Tessa stared at Duncan. "She was murdered?" Duncan nodded. "Her first death. I haven't even told her she's Immortal yet." "So she doesn't know." "I want you to help me tell her." "And she'll be staying with us." "She's Immortal, Tessa. What am I supposed to do? Leave her to be beheaded by the first Immortal who comes along, or perhaps one of the Watchers?" "Doesn't she have a family? Somebody must be looking for her." "I don't think so. Her adoptive parents are dead. And it's probably just as well that she makes a clean break with her past anyway. Teenagers who never get any older can be hard to explain." * * * * "Tessa and I have something important we need to talk to you about," Duncan said. "I guess we need to call the police, huh?" Ellen said. "About your attack?" Duncan scratched the back of his head. "Uh, that would be a little problematical." Ellen's face fell. "I shouldn't have showered, right? I messed up the evidence. I remember seeing a TV show on that. I completely forgot." "What evidence?" Duncan asked, very quietly. "I mean, like, you know, he, his, um, stuff would be on me..." "I meant, what evidence that he attacked you? Was violent with you?" Duncan said, even more quietly. Ellen looked at him blankly for a moment, then seemed to realize something. She got up in alarm. "It did happen! It did! I remember it. I didn't make it up." She looked on the verge of tears; that was enough for Tessa, who enfolded her in her arms and soothed, "Of course you didn't. It's all right. We'll take care of you." Although Duncan smiled at the tenderness of the last remark, it seemed to frighten Ellen. "I'm not crazy--am I?" "Of course not." Duncan's voice was strong and decisive. "Richie and I both saw you, unconscious and covered with blood. There's a very good explanation for why you have no evidence of injuries now." Duncan began looking around the bedroom for a razor blade, but knew it was probably futile. He'd given up his safety razor years ago for one of those cartridge blade holders, and it was practically impossible to cut yourself with one of those. "What are you looking for?" Tessa asked him. Duncan sighed. He really didn't want to say, fearing it would scare Ellen silly. "I want to do a little visual demonstration." Tessa still hadn't gotten it; Duncan gave up. "Got any razor blades?" Tessa understood now. "I have some single edged razor blades with my art supplies. I'll get it." When she returned, she tossed Duncan a small box of single edged razor blades. Duncan caught it, extracted a blade, pushed his sleeve up off his left forearm, and laid his arm across the nightstand. "Can you get me that box of tissues?" He asked Tessa. While Tessa brought the tissues and Duncan placed several under his forearm, he explained. "I'm like you. When we're injured, we heal very quickly and completely. Don't let this gross you out; it'll be fine in a few minutes." With that, Duncan carved his initials in inch-high letters in his left forearm. Predictably, Ellen gasped. "Watch," Duncan said. "Don't take your eyes off my arm." He turned his forearm slightly, allowing the rivulets of blood to run from the letters "D M" down into the tissues. It took just a few minutes for the wounds to close up and fade into nothingness, leaving only the small paths of blood on Duncan's forearm. Duncan cleaned those off with a tissue and a bit of saliva. Ellen came closer to inspect his arm. Duncan handed her the razor blade. "You try." Ellen looked suspiciously at the traces of blood on the blade. "How do I know I won't get AIDS from this?" Duncan laughed. "You can't get AIDS. You can't get anything." But he handed her an unused blade and took back the bloody one. "Go ahead. And have some tissues. I don't think Tessa would appreciate it if we dripped blood on the furniture." "You can go ahead and drip on it, Ellen. The bedroom furniture belongs to Duncan." Duncan stuck his tongue out at Tessa. Ellen shook her head at the whole situation. "This is too weird." But she managed to make a small cut on her arm, and the three watched it heal. Ellen handed the razor blade to Tessa. Tessa shook her head. "I'm not one of you," she said. "It will take about a week for that to heal on me." She inspected her hands until she found evidence of a small healing cut, and showed it to Ellen. "Here. I don't even remember what I did to it. But you can see that it doesn't heal like yours." Duncan nodded. "That's why we can't go to the police. You were brutally attacked and stabbed, but there isn't a mark on you. How would we explain that?" "Are we just going to let the guy get away with it?" Ellen asked. "Not if I can help it," Duncan said. * * * * Duncan certainly hadn't forgotten his promise to try and find the rapist. "I really haven't done this type of drawing before," Tessa protested. "I'm not sure how well it will work." "We really can't ask a police artist to do it," Duncan pointed out. "And neither Ellen, I, nor Richie can draw very well, so you're it. Unless you'd rather sculpt it? Then we could use that." He spoke deadpan, but his eyes were grinning. Tessa shook her head slightly at his antics. "I don't think so." She asked Ellen, "Do you know the shape of his face?" Ellen stared at her blankly. "Why don't we start with eye and hair color and body build," suggested Duncan. It was slow going, but eventually they came up with a drawing that Ellen said looked like her attacker. They had to have Tessa draw the interior of the car as well, because Ellen didn't remember the make or model, or anything about the license plates, for that matter. Fortunately, Richie took one look at the finished drawing and identified it immediately. "Nissan Maxima," he declared. "1993." "You mean you can't tell which factory it's from?" Duncan teased. "Real funny, Mac." Duncan clapped Richie on the shoulder and turned to Tessa and Ellen. "Give me the picture. You've done your part; now, it's my turn." "Randi McFarland." "Hi. It's Duncan MacLeod." Randi's voice showed clear surprise. "Where are you? Where on earth have you been?" "We recently came back from Paris. Can you come to the shop? I have a lead for you." "Can I come to the shop? For a story? Do wild bears..." "See you soon," Duncan said, and hung up. Randi was left staring at a dial tone. Excerpt continues with part 2 Claire Maier bioaw124@unix.cc.emory.edu or C.MAIER@GEnie.GEIS.com =========================================================================