Konrad and Alexandra (pdf) - Rolf Gross

Alexandra described the sequence of events, but taken aback by Persephone’s
intoxicated condition she tried to hide her confused emotions in Shuamta and afterwards. But
as she relived the scene before the iconostasis, especially Dato’s attempted suicide and her
confrontation with the two accomplices, Alexandra once again got highly excited.
Persephone did not seem to pay any attention to her. With a blank expression she
stared straight at a spot on the wall.
How can I get her to focus, thought Alexandra, break her indifference? She moved her
hand involuntarily and knocked over her cup. Fascinated Alexandra watched the puddle spread
on the table. Persephone, still staring at the imaginary point on the wall, seemed entirely
unaware of the accident.
"I see you quite clearly," Persephone said in a deep, rasping voice. "You are not afraid.
Why are you so excited? Why do you prevent Dato from shooting himself?"
A cold shudder ran through Alexandra. Persephone was in a trance.
Desperately trying to contain the lake of tea on the table Alexandra whispered tensely. "I
wanted to save Dato, so he could outgrow his childish infatuation with me, that he could
become a man."
"Never mind the spilled tea, concentrate!" ordered Persephone focusing her veiled, dark
eyes on Alexandra. "You are not telling the truth."
Alexandra blushed, but reassured by the sudden recognition on Persephone’s face,
collected herself and told her about the intense sensation that against her will she had been
involved in a mysterious drama she did not know or understand. Its rules seemed to demand
that she witness his death. "I knew that Dato would kill himself only to impress me, that he
would not commit suicide by himself. If I were to refuse to play his game and take away his
gun, he would be all right and live. With great certainty I knew that I had to prevent his death."
Persephone with an indignant face looked at her contemptuously. "The weak wretch will
live—a miserable life! He had come to die in your arms, not to marry you. You are too young
and ignorant to understand the old female rules. You would have had to seduce him into raping
you, emasculate him at the height of his ecstasy, and let him bleed to death in your embrace.
But which woman is still prepared to follow the ancient rules? You acted like a coward."
Persephone raised herself, pointed at Alexandra, and said. "You are his Death. One day
he will come back and demand that you attend to his dying."
Alexandra shuddered. She stared at Persephone—the drunk queen of the underworld.
Slowly her strength returned, she shook herself and rose. Blazing like Pallas Athene,
she faced Persephone and fearlessly looked into her age-old eyes. "I shall dare to defy you. I
shall marry clear-headed Konrad, the red-bearded foreigner, follow him into exile, and find the
strength to save Dato from his guilt and the female spells of my beloved, archaic Georgia."
Shaken and deeply disturbed Alexandra swore never to see Persephone again.
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