Page 56 of Andalusia Dogs
“Willful?” Jago took hold of Alex’s arm, guiding him away from the palace, up the hill toward Plaza de España. “Perhaps you’re savvier in the ways of Shapers than you think?”
“Shapers?”
“A fanciful term the more political among us use for themselves, shaping reality and whatnot. I’m more interested in that term you used. Willful? It carries some weight in Shaper circles too. It is commonly said that magick is divided by what is known and what is unknown, and by what is fated and what is—”
“Willed.” It surprised Alex how much sense this made. “You mentioned politics? You mean there are more of you?”
“Too many. Personally, I’d rather limit my involvement.” Jago gave him a wan smile, squeezing his hand. “I prefer to commit my energy and talents to people I care about. To art. To beauty.”
“And what do you mean ‘more savvy’ than I think?”
“You felt that will to explore flow through you. What manifested on stage was a love letter to discovery and curiosity. A pardon for Eve, perhaps? That would make a fine title, if you want to invoke fairy tales. These are natural concerns for a newinitiate, but you’ll grow bored with them quickly. And will your audience share them? That’s the real test.”
“Jago… I’m not a witch.”
“You’re right, let’s not jump to conclusions. You may have simply tapped into my power, but honestly, Alex? The kind of connection that transpired between you and Joanna is something I’d expect of a Mentalist. In terms of the four schools of magick, they’re our polar opposite, a magic that is known and willed. Entropy, on the other hand, stems from fate unknown.”
Alex stared at him blankly.
“Are you keeping up? I can draw you a chart.”
“I understand your… quadrants.” He slowed as they passed the Cervantes monument, one of his favourites in the city.
Jago smiled at him as they admired the statue dominating the plaza. “Now, he definitely had it.”
“Cervantes was a witch?”
Jago laughed, squeezing Alex’s shoulder. “No, but he did know how to weave magick. It’s that lightning in a bottle I described to you.”
“Look, I don’t know if I’m a witch or not, but…” Spying a cluster of broken needles at the monument’s base, Alex dismissed a foolish thought that they might be overheard. “Do I have it? Don’t tell me you don’t know.”
“Whether I know or not doesn’t matter. I can’t answer that, Alex.”
“Jago, please?”
“If I tell you no, you’ll give up and stop creating. You’ll call yesterday a fluke produced by your connection to me and mymagick, and we will have killed something beautiful. If I say yes, you’ll spend the rest of your life beating yourself up over not being the next Cervantes or Lorca. Neither of these outcomes is acceptable. You’re the man you are and the artist you are, and that is enough, at least for me.”
Jago’s lips were on his before he could say anything stupid, and they were more than welcome. They were warm, eager to forgive his doubts and flaws, and he could have allowed it to go on all night if he didn’t need answers.
“Then why did you want us to close after just one night?”
“Have you ever seen lightning keep its brilliance for two weeks? Your play as it stands right now is a love letter to discovery and exploration, played out on stage through your willing vessel, Joanna. You’ll get one hell of an opening night out of it, perhaps even a few nights’ run. But by the end of two weeks? I fear your audience…”
Alex resumed their walk with a harrumph.
“Don’t misunderstand me,” Jago continued, catching up to him. “I’m not trying to belittle your triumph or get in your head. What would I know, in any case? I’m here to support you, Alex, whatever you decide.”
They paused again at the Fuente del Nacimiento del Agua, where Jago squeezed his hand again, leaned forward, and kissed him. Alex accepted it, hoping the purity of the sensation would sweep away the confusion, self-doubt, and anxiety now clouding his heart. It did nothing beyond tasting good and stiffening his dick.
“Nice to know I can still get a reaction from you.”
“I’m sorry. My head’s just…”
“Overwhelmed with discovery?”
“Is it dangerous? Magick, I mean.”
Jago scoffed. “Sweet, lovely man, exploration’s always dangerous.” He pointed toward the illuminated windows of the palace. “To their ancestors—ourancestors, let’s be frank—discovery justified wiping out entire nations. Greed justified the extermination of empires. Now, we walk streets paved with the blood of those empires, and there was a lot of it. Even Queen Isabella told Columbus to steady the fuck on once she learned the price of that wealth.”
