Chapter 9: The Devil in the Painting

Jon looked at the painting and was immediately transfixed by the glowing eyes of a dark creature that appeared to be coming out of an abyss. The red eyes seemed to glow even brighter the more Jon looked at them and he felt paralyzed under the creature's hypnotic stare. He felt as if he were floating and being led through a tunnel of concentric circles of smoky grays and coal black, down a spiraling path into what chasm the creature seemed to have come from. Jon felt himself falling into that unknown world which seemed devoid of light and color as screams of agony filled his ears.

Jon blinked and suddenly found himself back in the library looking at the strange picture. He felt his feet touching the floor and heard the soft hum of the library's air conditioning. Still looking at the painting, he gazed at the creature again and recognized the combined features of the bat and snake.

Dante watched with a self-satisfied air as Jon stood transfixed in front of the painting.

"Mesmerizing, isn't it?" remarked Dante.

"The ember ghost!" Jon gasped.

"So you've heard the stories," said Dante. "Many stories have circulated among the locals about the island, about me. Some you would consider bizarre, others downright impossible." Dante laughed, his voice filling the room. "Perhaps you also heard of the story that I was the ember ghost, that I was the devil incarnate."

"Whh-who painted this?" Jon asked Dante.

Dante smiled wickedly and did not say a word.

"There's something about the painting and that creature that's strangely hypnotic. At the same time, I could sense a certain familiarity, as if I've seen it before," noted Jon.

"You may be referring to this," said Dante, raising his cane and showing the creature that decorated its handle. Looking at the cane more closely, Jon noticed that the eyes were inlaid with rubies.

"Yes, it looks like it's the same creature," remarked Jon, not quite sure if he'd seen the image somewhere else.

"A cross between two animals, a hybrid creature that combined the bat and a snake."

Jon went back to the painting and said. "That tunnel that spiraled downwards. It also looks familiar."

"You're probably remembering Hieronymus Bosch," Dante suggested.

"Yes. You're right!" Jon's face brightened, remembering Bosch's painting Ascent of the Blessed. "Bosch also included a lot of bizarre and fantastical creatures in his other works including the Garden of Earthly Delights." Jon moved closer to the painting, examining its surface and the faint signs of discoloration. "This painting looks like it's from the same age, but I don't think Bosch painted this. Or did he?" Jon turned fully to Dante.

Dante laughed and said, "You will find that there is a common theme in these three paintings that I've shown you." He then switched off the pin lights and turned to Jon. "So, what stories have the people in the mainland conjured about me this time?"

"You may not believe it, but I met a few people who forbade me to come here, especially tonight."

"The Day of the Ember Ghost," Dante said. "I'm glad they still talk about that. It's one of my favorite stories, actually. The day when the ember ghost emerges from his hell hole to find his next victim. Or was it the day of bad luck when no fisherman is allowed to go out to sea." Dante laughed.

"Some of the locals looked pretty scared when they tried to prevent me from coming here. They really believed in their superstitions," said Jon.

"Let them believe what they want. These superstitions merely amuse me." Dante shrugged his shoulders. "But I've wasted too much time already, we still have business to talk about and the night is no longer young," said Dante, going back to his chair. Jon followed him and they sat at the table. Jon looked at his files again.

"So, what do you have for me?" asked Dante when they had both settled as he rubbed his hands together.

"We were able to come up with four properties that fit your requirements perfectly," replied Jon. "Far from the noise of the city proper, near old places of interest such as church ruins, preferably near a river with big trees, ancestral homes that may or may not be inhabited..."

"Yes, I wrote all those requirements and I read the documents you emailed me," said Dante impatiently.  "What I want to know more about is Balete Park."

Jon looked for the file and went over the specific information about Balete Park which was located in the outskirts of Cardena City proper. It was an old residence built when the iron mines were still operational and furnaces still burned in the area. No one has lived in the house in the last fifty years and it was already in a state of disrepair. The property has an ancient balete tree within its premises that was probably more than a hundred years old as well as overgrown bushes and shrubs. There was a small pond, remnant of a dried up river, that was filled with water only during the rainy season. It was dry during most days of the year and overgrown with moss and fern. The ancestral house itself was large and made of brick and hardwood. It was possibly constructed a hundred years ago, but Jon would still need to look at the city's archives if Dante wanted more information.

There was an old church and cemetery nearby, but the earthquakes and typhoons proved too much even for the stone structures and they eventually collapsed, leaving only portions of the walls. The cemetery itself was no longer in use after a memorial park was constructed in another location in the outskirts of the city. There were other houses in the area, although smaller and most of them uninhabited. One of the old houses was turned into a bar where most of the young people in the city went for nightly drinks and entertainment, but it should not bother Dante at all as it was still some distance from Balete Park.

Dante looked occasionally at his laptop and typed on the keyboard as Jon talked. Sometimes, Dante would clarify some of the information with Jon after obviously doing some research on his own or looking at his own documents.

"Have you asked the owner about the price?" asked Dante.

"According to our research, the last owners were the Navarros, but the family line supposedly died in 1945 and the property reverted to the government."

Dante, his face inscrutable, asked Jon for pictures of the property. Jon obliged and opened a folder with the pictures taken by his firm's agents who scouted the properties of interest. He turned his screen towards Dante who looked at the pictures.

Dante sighed audibly and was obviously pleased with Jon’s find. "This is exactly the place that I have been looking for." Dante said finally, his eyes glistening. "Definitely a cause to celebrate! Let's have someone bring you some wine." Dante pushed a button on his desk and looked at the door. Seeing no sign of any of his servants, he stood up with the aid of his cane and walked out of the library after asking Jon to wait for him.

It was already ten in the evening and Jon was tired. He wondered what could be the possible reasons for Dante wanting to buy more property in the city when his house in the island seemed perfect, with all the amenities of modern life. His choice of an abandoned property on the verge of being claimed by the forest was also unusual.

Looking at Dante's laptop on the table, Jon got curious as to what Dante was doing. He turned Dante's laptop towards him and saw it opened to a map of Cardena. There were three other pinpoints on the map, but Balete Park was repeatedly encircled. As to the other locations, he was quick to note that they were likewise in the outskirts of the city proper.

Jon quickly turned the laptop back towards Dante's chair as soon as he heard the door swing open. "Sorry about that," said Dante. "It was the new maid who was not in her station. I'll have Pablo deal with her."

After a few minutes, Pablo opened the door and pushed inside a cart with a bottle of red wine and a glass. He immediately closed the door and left without saying a word.

Dante clasped his hands together and beamed happily. "I am glad that you found that property. I had Pablo bring in a bottle of wine. Here I want you to drink this. One of the finest bottles that I have." Dante uncorked the bottle and filled the glass with wine. He then offered this to Jon who did not have a choice but to accept.

Jon took a sip and suppressed a cough as he felt the liquid flow down his throat. He had never been an alcohol drinker, but did not want to admit it. Dante watched Jon closely as he drank the wine. Jon, feeling Dante's gaze on him, decided to drink some more.

"There's only one glass." Jon remarked. "Aren't you having any?"

"Don't mind me," said Dante waving him off. "I already had my drink earlier." He then refilled Jon's glass and urged him to drink some more.

Despite his initial hesitation, Jon found the wine more and more pleasant as he drank, his taste buds savoring the flavor and aroma of the red liquid.

It was almost midnight when Jon was able to return to his room. He was still exhausted from the long journey and his eyelids felt heavy. He unpacked all his clothes, thankful that he was at least able to get Dante the property that he wanted on his first night on the island. There was still plenty to do as he needed to work out the details for his client as well as discuss about Dante's other transactions. Jon missed Lisa terribly and decided to send her a quick message before going to bed. He was about to press send when he realized that it was already too late in the evening. Deciding not to bother Lisa, he decided to prepare for bed.

Jon felt that the room was stuffy, as if it had not been used for a while although the sheets seemed newly replaced. He decided to open the windows to let in some fresh air. From the third floor, he was glad of the cool breeze that came from the sea. There were few stars that night and the moon could not be seen. Somewhere, he could still hear the waves although he could only see blackness where the sea should be.

Looking down, Jon saw that the light from the library was still on. Jon wondered about his client's nocturnal habits and whether he would need to adjust his work hours as well to match his client's. Suddenly, Jon saw something move from the corner of his eye. It seemed to have come from the library window, but he could not be sure. Just as he was convincing himself that he was just too sleepy and conjuring images out of nothing, he saw a black creature move across the wall of the mansion like a giant lizard. The light from the library window barely caught it. Jon barely suppressed a cry when he saw its eyes glow a bright red before it disappeared in the shadows.