Alla with a firm intention not to tell her anything, but could not stand it, it was too painful to keep everything to herself.
Alla, as always, chattered incessantly, but then suddenly stopped and looked intently at Lyudmila.
“Mila, something about you is not right today,” she said. “And you barely touched the food! I thought you'd like it here! Yes, a little too Russian, but how elegant everything is, isn't it!?”
“Ah, Alla, you know me, I'm not up to complaining,” Lyudmila sighed. “Life is not only roses… Still, I am always trying my best to be in harmony with my world… However, yesterday my brother arrived with his new “passion”, they finally returned from their long journey! Alla! That's horrible! She's an ugly fool! And he - as if bewitched by her, some kind of possessed!!! I never believed in witchcraft, but how else can this be explained? They both looked like being under anesthesia! Last night I was the one who talking at the table for most time! She is mentally ill, and mental illness can be contagious, like mass psychosis! Lord, what am I saying! Probably, I am too, got sick along with them!”
“Lord, Mila! I've never seen you like this! Did they bring any exotic tea or rum with them? Did you drink or eat anything unusual with them?”
“Alla, hold on! The dinner was completely organized by me, at my premises! But Vladimir has simply degraded in the company of this Olga over the past couple of years! This's not healthy! What awaits us!? He completely stopped all affairs! He stopped sharing anything with me, stopped asking for advice. He does not consult with her either! He just constantly smiles silly and that's it!!!”
“Mila, listen, invite her to tea! I want to see this oddball! I know your brother, he's not a little boy, it's not so easy to zombify him! Maybe everything is not as bad! They are not husband and wife yet! Let's, showing a goodwill, take her to our places, show her to our ladies!”
“I don't know what to do anymore,” Lyudmila sighed again. “We could try… Maybe I just panicked in vain, but I was so tired, everything was so incomprehensible… I waited so long for Vladimir to come home and now… Forgive me, Alla, let's get down to desserts!”
And the two Russian ladies happily took on a purely Russian dessert for tea – cakes “Napoleon” and “Medovik”.
Meanwhile, Vladimir and Olga were planning a wedding. Rather, only Vladimir who was planning. And his sister Lyudmila was the central figure in these plans! She always dreamed of taking the main part in the wedding of her beloved and only brother! She had acquaintances in all relevant circles in London. And salons, and florists, and real estate agents and celebrations – how often did she imagine what her brother's wedding would be like. Lyudmila has long ceased to dream of her own wedding.
And now her brother has decided to marry - and again to a secretary! The first marriage was without a wedding and seemed to be formal, for the business purpose - what an absolute nonsense! And now it was even worse, look like for love, but everything was so naive and completely incomprehensible!
Only what Lyudmila did not know, that Vladimir wanted to rely on her taste completely! Olga did not know about this either! Vladimir believed that wedding chores would bring his two most beloved ladies together!
…And no one knew, that all this was happening due to the hypnosis of an eccentric rich and independent in spirit Golden Zandolie - an alien who had died on his Island, trying to hide from his fellows-aliens and live like a human. It was he who instilled in Vladimir and Olga feelings of fear and mutual dependence, which they took for love…
Lyudmila did not even know how she was right about being under a spell - Vladimir and Olga were programmed by the alien to hold on to each other and not return to the Island.
Chapter 3
The search party for Julia. Dushka saves everyone
The mountain road was winding between the abyss and the sheer stone wall like a giant snake. The car was racing to nowhere, leaning dangerously towards the densely wooded abyss at all bends.
Julia was looking not at the road, but somewhere above it. The cherry-shaped lips were tightly pressed, and traces of tears were sparkling on the round cheeks. Big breasts were heaving badly and small hands were automatically turning the steering wheel…
The image of handsome Marley was in front of her eyes, looking at her affectionately, calling her " my sweetie" and smiling tenderly. He smiled, but his eyes were cold, bottomless.
Then she remembered the eerie blue and gold Zandolie. He had a grin full of gold teeth instead of a smile and the same cold, but yellow-orange eyes with a vertical pupil, like Marley's! Just like her son's Ray's!!!
Julia never told anyone how much pain she felt over Marley's death. He himself chose such a terrible fate to save them all! Sacrificed himself to destroy the Golden Zandolie!
Julia terribly missed this unusual, all-consuming love! Magnificent Marley, son of the terrestrial beauty Indian girl Bernadette and the ugly extra-terrestrial alien Zandolie - Marley was wonderful in everything! But Julia did not remember a single night of their love! Was there anything at all between them and why did she still yearn for him!?
Marley had insisted that he was sterile!
How did Marley know he was sterile? His father told him - Zandolie! Terrible manipulator, liar and psycho Zandolie!!!
Ray was Marley's son?
Zandolie's grandson? And his eyes - were same as grandfather's? And if not only eyes, but also his evil disposition was inherited? And other obscure traits like telekinesis and hypnosis?
Julia did not want and could not be the mother of this little mutant!!!
No, no! It couldn't be! So many years have passed! Or did these aliens have the fetus sleeping inside for a while and then develop in a more favorable environment? For example, when Julia's life finally became more stable and successful, even happy?!
Ha! That's what Julia would have written in her next science fiction novel!
Is her own life reminiscent of the overly twisted plot of a love-fantasy thriller again?!
Julia suddenly stopped the car at a small observation deck on the side of the road not far from another mountain peak. She got out of the car and paused, admiring the beauty of panoramic view. Far below, she could see a huge sea bay with small yachts. The sea was partly surrounded by mountains covered with forests. And the setting sun peeped out coquettishly from the clouds gathered at the horizon. What a calm, majestic splendor!
…How scary it was when the Golden Zandolie ruled the Island! He undoubtedly knew how to command nature and almost destroyed the Island with the help of artificial hurricanes and volcanoes! Marley told such strange and terrible things about him!
Of course, natural disasters sometimes were occurring here on the Island. But Zandolie learned to manage them, for the sake of his sick ambitions…
What would happen if Ray would grow up and like to play god too? Would everything repeat itself!?
Julia turned around and went to the car, in which her strange baby was sleeping peacefully in a special child car seat. Even with his eyes closed, he looked more and more different from an ordinary child. The skull was elongated, the forehead was slightly sloping, the eyes were simply huge. And the child was growing too fast, barely fitting in his seat.
Julia pulled her son out of
