2010: Odyssey Two (1982), a Science Fiction by Arthur C. Clarke: Summary

Arthur C. Clarke was born in England in 1917 and he registered King’s College, London where he got First Class Honors in Physics’ and Mathematics. Not only as an author of fifty books, but his invention of communications satellite, has brought him numerous honors. The book is 332 pages long and it was published by Ballatine Books, USA in 1989. The first edition was printed in 1982. The book is not stated as sequel but as successor to 2001: A Space Odyssey. 

This science-fiction book is not easy to comprehend, but I really enjoy this book, since the Outer Space is always mystery on my mind. A high qualified book which written by brilliant author. The science-fiction book like 2010: Odyessy Two may reflect human’s view about life and universe. If you’ve seen Gravity and Interstellar, the two films will help you to enjoy this book and bring you to the high level of imagination. 

The story of the outer space mission spacecraft Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov heads to planet Jupiter. The USSR (Uni-Soviet/Russia) joint mission with U.S National Council was led by Captain Tatiana Orlova and US provides three experts including Dr. Heywood Floyd.

2010: Odyssey Two (1982), a Science Fiction by Arthur C. Clarke: Summary

Heywood Floyd was former Chairman of National Council on Astronautics, but now he worked for University of Hawaii. Now he had a new job, new home, and new wife. With despite the twenty-year age difference between them, Caroline understood his moods and could wean him out of his occasional depressions. She had been a good stepmother to his daughters, and had given him young son Christopher. Floyd had found the contentment that was important as happiness, and longer lasting. 

He was on the list on the expedition to Jupiter abroad spacecraft Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov. American spacecraft Discovery might be crash on Jupiter Mission. Four men had died, and one disappeared, out there among the moons of Jupiter. Dr Sivasubramanian Chandrasegarampillai, Professor of Computer Science at the University of Illinois Urbana, never thought about the dead astronauts, but he grieved only for his lost child, HAL 9000 (Hal). After all these years, and his endless reviews of data radioed back from Discovery, he was not sure what had gone wrong. The facts he needed were frozen in Hal’s circuit, out there between Jupiter and Io. Nor could Hal’s twin, SAL 9000, back on Earth, when the information was transmitted to Earth. 

The U.S spacecraft Discovery’s astronaut, David Bowman, launched himself in a space pod-leaving Hal in full control the ship. Hal had switch off the life-support systems of the three hibernating astronauts. Bowman was alone, as no man had ever been before in the whole world of human history. Discovery finally arrived at Jupiter, Bowman had gone out in a space pod to investigate, and had disappeared leaving final message: “My God it’s full of stars.” Dr. Chandra refused to call Hall’s behavior as a malfunction but, it’s an anomaly. 

Discovery had left Earth with three little space pods. One had been lost in accident that had killed Frank Poole. Another carried by David Bowman to his final goal Big Brother. A third was still in the ship garage, the Pod Bay (later Brailovsky named it as Nina). Finally they found Discovery, Curnow felt at home now. He had spent months working in Discovery. Brailovsky and Curnow had entered the Pod Bay-Discovery’s space garage. The mysterious accident had killed Frank Poole- missing Dave Bowman. The power system was okay, the main reactor stable, batteries in good shape. All the ammonia had remained safely liquefied, and there was enough to get the ship back to a safe orbit around Earth- at least around Moon. There was no certain caused of the Discovery’ crash. They found a purely personal message – unsent message to Bowman’s mother. Mrs. Bowman was in a nursing home in Florida, and her mental condition was poor. 

Spacecraft Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov was led by Captain Tatiana (Tanya) Orlova. The Misssion objectives are to proceed to Jovian system and rendezvous with U.S spacecraft Discovery, to reactive Discovery, to relocate alien artifact encountered by discovery, and to carry out a survey of Jupiter and its satellites. The Crews were Dr Vasili Orlov as Navigation-Astronomy, Dr. Maxim Andrei Brailovsky as Engineering-Structures (assistant engineer), Dr. Alexander Kovalev as Engineering-Communication, Dr. Nikolai Ternovsky as Engineering-Control System, Surgeon-Commander Katerina Rudenko as Medical-Life-Support, and Dr Irina Yakunina as Medical-Nutrition. Three experts form U.S. National Council: Dr. Heywood Floyd, Dr. Walter Curnow, and Dr. Chandra. Walter Curnow was the system specialist and he was a large and husky man. Dr. Chandra was tiny, delicate, and all his movements were swift and precise. 

The image of Jupiter with its ribbons of white cloud, its molted bands of salmon pink. Jupiter was already larger than Moon in the sky of Earth, and giant inner satellites could be seen moving around it. Both ships operational and first round test on Hal almost finished. They trusted Hal to fly Discovery when they left to make their final rendezvous with Big Brother. TMA2, it’s the best part of billion kilometers from Tycho, Floyd named it Big Brother. 

China spacecraft Tsien was more than fifty kilometers away. In a few hours, Tsien would hit Jupiter. Tsien was inaudible, and making a rendezvous with Europa. All the scanty news of Chinese mission had to be relayed from Earth. The ship had touched down. Meteorites might fall upon airless Europa, but never a flake a snow. Europa was the biggest news in solar system. Europa’s canals were not an illusion. They contained water, or at least ice. For the satellite was almost entirely covered by ocean, averaging fifty kilometers deep. Because it’s far from the sun, Europa’s surface temperature was extremely low- about a hundred and fifty degrees below freezing. But there was the case a lot of heat generated inside Europa by tidal forces- the great volcanoes on neighboring Io. The ice was continually melting, breaking up, and forming cracks. 

Tsien had landed right beside white streaks that’d been christened the Grand Canal. A signal came from Tsien and a sole survivor left the message said that there is a life in Europa. Floyd was familiar with Professor Chang’s voice. Floyd vaguely remembered Professor Chang Lee in a session in International Astronomical Union Congress in Boston. Lee described unusual creature he saw. Things like a plant scores of the big flowers in various stage unfolding. He announced the destruction of spaceship Tsien. Ton of ice on the ship, Lee knew he would not survive. Before died, he asked two requests; if the taxonomists classified the creature, it’d named it after him. If the next ship came home – asking them to take crew’s bone back to China. 

When Floyd communicated with Hal, a real-time message was on screen. It meat it was either from Hal himself or someone abroad Leonov. Then he admitted he was David Bowman. Floyd couldn’t accept that identification without proof. Then the shape of human, only the head was fashioned with any care; the face; undoubtedly was Commander David Bowman, but Floyd recognized the voice. The rest of the body was a featureless blank, lacking all detail. There was no hint of genitals or sexual characteristic. Dave Bowman had left his human heritage. He said to Floyd that he had little time. He had been allowed to give Floyd warning that he had only fifteen days. The Crew didn’t believe in Bowman’s ghost. 

Young David Bowman appeared on screen to his old girlfriend Betty Schultz. He was eighteen again, and for a moment she wished she could see the entire body. For a decade, all his autoerotic fantasies had centered upon Betty, he had never found another woman to compare with her. His late brother Robert Bowman crushed on Betty. Betty had never told Dave if he was a better lover than Bobby. Betty Fernandez was though, intelligent, and now she was a housewife. She only remembered him as death man but David admitted he was not ghost nor human but still part of him. Jose Fernandez still maintained that his wife Betty had reported an encounter with David Bowman. He asked personal questioned to Betty- about her son, but she lied to him. In fact Carlos was Fernandez’s son. David Bowman also appeared in monitor to his mother. Jesse Bowman saw his son as a young David who now ageless had gained his control of obdurate matter. Jesse died only a few days after a thing came to Earth. 

Big Brother was completely featureless. It was fact that from Earth, both Sun and Moon have the same apparent diameter. Big Brother had been chosen for its cosmic balancing act on the gravitational tight-rope between Jupiter and Io, a similar phenomenon occurred. It was exactly the same shape as TMA1- but as it was more than two kilometers, it was 718 times larger than its small siblings. There was a mathematical mystery. Men had been arguing for years over that 1:4:9 ratio – the squares of the first three integers. It could not be coincidence; now there was another number to conjure with. Statistician and Mathematical physicist were soon playing with their computer, trying to relate the ratio fundamental constants of nature- the velocity of light, the proton/electron mass ratio, the fine structure constant. Third pod later called Nina landed at the Big Brother. Dave contacted Hal. He gave Hal instructions including to send the certain message to Earth as many time as possible. The radio message beamed to Earth before blast of radiation engulfed the ship: “All THESE WORLDS ARE YOURS- EXCEPT EUROPA. ATTEMPT NO LANDING THERE.” 

There was life in Europa- Bowman and his friends. Europa has a nice tropical climate when the ice was melted. Hall only sent the message to Earth not to Leonov which was in fact, it was much closer. Jupiter was mostly hydrogen. If a large percentage could be converted into much denser material such as neutron and they dropped down to the core. Nucleosynthesis – building up higher elements from pure hydrogen and no more shortage of any metal – gold as a cheap aluminum. But when the core became dense enough, Jupiter would collapse. The temperature would rise high enough to start fusion. American Astronomer Carl Sagan once told that there would be life on Jupiter. 

Heywood Floyd reported the crew preparing for return home. They were on the line between Io and Jupiter where they made the rendezvous with the huge, mysteriously vanished artifact they christened Big Brother. They planned by using the American Discovery as a booster for Russian Leonov. The two ships would be joined together, one mounted piggyback on the other. The crew was the way home and Floyd was already in hibernation. Engineer- communication Sasha switched on the long-range receiver and started to search frequency. There was no trace of a signal. Discovery and Hal were gone.

*****

Balige, Sumatera, Indonesia

Sekapur Sirih 

Karya fiksi ilmiah tergolong langka bila dibandingkan genre lainnya. Buku ini terbit setelah buku sukses sebelumnya 2001: A Space Odyssey yang juga sukses dalam bentuk film pada tahun 1968. Penulis Arthur C. Clarke adalah penulis dan penemu kelahiran Inggris bidang Fisika dan Matematika. Dalam buku ini berkisah tentang pesawat angkasa Leonov milik Uni Soviet (Rusia) melakukan sejumlah ekspedisi di Planet Jupiter sekaligus penyelamatan  pesawat luar angkasa Discovery milik Amerika yang hilang dan terjatuh di planet Jupiter. Buku berisi 332 halaman disampaikan dalam bab pendek dan sederhana. Memang adalah tidak mudah memahami karya ini, namun bila Anda telah menonton film Gravity dan Interstellar maka akan menolong imajinasi pembaca menikmati karya ini. 

Terjemahan dalam Bahasa Indonesia: 2010: Odyssey Two (1982), Karya Arthur C. Clarke: ringkasan 

Pesawat ruang angkasa Amerika bernama Discovery  jatuh di planet Jupiter. Empat Astronot dinyatakan mati dalam kecelakaan itu. Sebuah ekspedisi misi gabungan dari Uni- Soviet dan Amerika dilakukan untuk misi Jupiter sekaligus pencarian Discovery. Pesawat Leonov milik Uni-Soviet itu dipimpin oleh Kapten Tatiana (Tanya) Orlova dan sejumlah kru Rusia dan termasuk tiga ahli dari Amerika: Dr. Heywood Floyd, Dr. Walter Curnov, dan Dr. Chandra. Dalam lintasan perjalanan pesawat Tsien milik China melaporkan dirinya telah sampai di planet Europa, planet yang tidak terlalu jauh dari planet Jupiter dan satelitnya Io. 

Profesor Chang melaporkan bahwa ada kehidupan di Europa, pesawatnya diselimuti oleh es tebal semua krunya telah meninggal. Professor Chang dan Komander Floyd sebelumnya telah pernah bertemu dalam sebuah pertemuan internasional di Boston. Flyod mengenali suara lelaki itu, Chang banyak membeberkan isi planet itu dan memberi rekaman kamera. Europa bersuhu sangat dingin, sebab memang memiliki jarak sangat jauh dari matahari. Suhu sangat dingin, namun satelit di sebelahnya memiliki gunung berapi sehingga membuat Europa terkadang mengalami masa tropis. Profesor Chang Lee sadar bahwa dirinya juga akan segera mati. Dia berpesan agar namanya diabadikan atas benda yang diduga tanaman kelak ketika ahli menemukannya. Bila suatu saat  pesawat ruang angksa mendarat di Europa, agar membawa tulang-belulang mereka ke negeri China. 

Kabar mengejutkan datang dari bumi. Komander David Bowman dikabarkan berkomunikasi dengan mantan kekasihnya Betty Schultz. Wanita cerdas yang kini menjadi ibu rumah tangga. Kecantikan dan pesona wanita itu susah hilang dari ingatan David Bowman. Wanita yang menjadi penyemangat hidupnya. Tentu saja, Betty sangat kaget melihat wajah dan mendengar suara Dave di monitor. Wajah Dave ketika berumur delapan belas tahun, masa ketika mereka bersama. Terlihat hanyalah muka Dave, walau Betty berusaha melihat seluruh tubuh pemuda itu. Dia bertanya apakah putra Betty bernama Carlos adalah putranya. Bagi Betty dan media Amerika, Bowman telah mati. Carlos adalah putra suaminya Jose Fernandez, namun wanita itu sudah membohongi hantu. Tidak hanya itu, Dave juga menampakkan dirinya dan berbicara lewat monitor pada ibunya yang sudah tua dan kini di rawat di panti jompo. Setelah melihat anaknya di layar, beberapa hari kemudian wanita itu pun meninggal. 

Kru Leonov akhirnya berhasil menemukan Discovery di planet Jupiter. Tiga kru telah meninggal dan David Bowman dinyatakan hilang dengan membawa satu pod (bagian dari pesawat ruang angkasa yang saling dikaitkan dan bisa dilepas sebagai pesawat utuh mandiri). Dr. Chandra berusaha memperbaiki komputer program ciptaannya bernama Hal. Kemampuan intelijensinya tinggi dan memiliki sifat mirip manusia. Walter Curnow dan asisten insinyur Brailovsky memeriksa dan memperbaiki Discovery. 

Tidak diduga, rupanya Dave Bowman juga menghubungi Floyd dan tidak mudah baginya percaya; perlu bukti. Sosok seperti manusia muncul di monitor, hanya wajah tanpa badan, dan tanpa jenis kelamin, tapi jelas baginya bahwa suara dan wajah itu adalah David Bowman. Para kru tidak percaya bahwa Dave masih hidup dan juga tidak percaya ada hantu. 

Setelah perbaikan Discovery dan Hal pun siap untuk pulang. Hal dipercaya membawa pulang Discovery ke bumi sementara kru tetap pada Leonov. Dalam perjalanan pulang, Dave berhasil mengontak Hal dan memberinya sejumlah instruksi termasuk mengirimkan sebuah pesan rekaman penting ke bumi. Insinyur Rusia tidak dapat mendeteksi sama sekali jejak hal dan Discovery. Mereka telah lenyap. 

Pesan pun masuk ke bumi menyatakan: “bumi dan angkasanya boleh milikmu kecuali Europa. Jangan pernah mendarat ke sana.” Kru Leonov pun terheran kenapa mereka tidak mendapat pesan itu, padahal mereka dekat, kenapa pesan itu malah langsung ke bumi. Mereka masih tetap menduga bahwa Bowman dan teman-temannya masih hidup walau tidak seutuhnya manusia. Kemungkinan ada kehidupan alien. Dari hasil ekspedisi mereka, didapati ada kehidupan di Jupiter dan Europa. Jupiter mengandung hidrogen. Kru Leonov melaporkan diri kepulangan mereka dan Floyd dan beberapa kru memasuki kapsul hibernasi (hibernation) masing-masing.

******

Balige, Sumatera

Lasher, the Mayfair Witches (1993), Anne Rice: summary

The 882-page fiction is published by Penguin in 1994. Anne Rice is an American bestselling author and best known for her incredibly successful Vampire Chronicles. Lasher is the Mayfair witches sequence.

This book draws reader into family drama, medical science, and an erotic landscape.

Lasher, the Mayfair Witches (1993), Anne Rice: summary

New Orleans

Mona has got more Mayfair blood in her than just about anybody in the whole family. Her father and mother were too close cousins to get married. Mona Mayfair just knew the history of the Mayfair Witches. The long document told her thirteen witches descended from a Scottish village called Donnelaith where the first, a poor cunning woman, had been burnt at stake in 1659. But there were things in that long family tale that had special meaning for her, and long account of Oncle Julien’s life had been the most intriguing part of all.

People didn’t know about the computers, but young Mona herself learned more about them every day. In fact, her agenda did not even include non-Mayfairs at this point, except, of course, for Michael Curry, but he was a Mayfair now, most definitely. The whole family had him in its grip. Her mother and father were truly drinking themselves to death. They weren’t aware of their daughter Mona had approached the forbidden house on First Street.

Everything was covered in family, nobody in the family in that house- practically speaking-but her man. Her father was too drunk to notice what she has done. And Mona knew the history of the Mayfair Witches. She got her hands on Aaron Lighter’s document.

Aunt Gifford had banned the Talamasca History of Mayfair Witches from her house and from her consciousness. Aunt Gifford could be around her grandmother, Ancient Evelyn, only now Ancient Evelyn said most nothing anymore. Aunt Gifford did not even like to say that she was Julien’s granddaughter. Aunt Gifford was at heart a tender and loving soul, she only seemed suffer for the whole family and no one was more distraught over Rowan Mayfair’s disappearance than Gifford. Aunt Gifford was too good to everybody around her.

First Street was hers. The great dark house with its columns was whispering to her. It was the place where Oncle Julien lived and died. That was the house of the witches. It was hazy now, dreams, always get, but she had written it in her computer diary. Oncle Julien had been playing the Victrola (an antique record player), and he had been dancing about, in his long quielted satin robe. He had said that Michael was too good in his French accent. Oncle Julien suggested to her and telling her how when Ancient Evelyn was only thirteen- Mona’s age- Oncle Julien had bedded her in attic at First Street. The illicit union had been born poor Laura Lee, the mother of Gifford and Alicia, Mona’s mother. Now, Mona herself seduced Michael Curry.

Mona’s mother had been only thirteen when Mona was born. The first time Mona had ever come into First Street-right before Rowan’s marriage to Michael Curry. Michael had been restoring the house. The smell was too strong, that was making her almost hungry. A flavor that seemed a hundred flavors compressed into one. Uncle Ryan had investigated the entire area, even the blood had been washed away, the rug in the living room had been taken out, and he had come with a chemical.   

Dr. Samuel Larkin worked at Keplinger Institute. Rowan has sent him some liquid sample. From the blood test, Rowan was a human being. They also tested the breast milk.

The household of the Mayfairs with was in grief, the witch family just lost Deidre Mayfair, Rowan’s mother. Aunt Gifford had banned the Talamasca History of the Mayfair Witches from her house and her consciousness. She shut her ears to the tales of the old days. Aunt Gifford seemed to suffer for the whole family, and no one was more distraught over Rowan Mayfair’s disappearance than Gifford. The Mayfair family was built the largest neurosurgery and research center in entire U.S. Rowan had no siblings. Her mother and father were dead. Her husband, Michael Curry lived in San Francisco. He was famous before he married Rowan. The man was rescued by Rowan from the sea, then married him.

Talamasca

Dr. Rowan Mayfair was a neurosurgeon. She had some friends in organization called Talamasca, a historical research group. They took samples at the sites of the birth and the disappearance. The organization is extremely interested in the history of Mayfair family. Dr. Samuel Larkin was Rowan’s friend. He was the only person who would vow to take the specimens to Keplinger. Dr. Larkin had set a meeting with Aaron Lightner in New Orleans. He was scholar who led Talamasca. Lighter had been such a nice man and very British, very old world, and very formal when spoken on the phone. He was seventy nine years old who in love to one of the Mayfair women. Talamasca people in London already got used to with the strange issue on the Mayfairs: Mayfair marrying Mayfair.

The Tale of the Witch of Donnelaith

The pamphlets were circulated all over Europe. They were printed in Edinburgh in 1670. Tells how Suzanne, the cunning woman, came under the sway of Satan, and gave him her soul, and how she was tried and burnt, but her daughter the merry-begot was spared, for the child had been conceived, was sacred to God, and no one dared touch her. Suzanne had brought the Devil, Lasher, into her descendants.

Yuri Stefano, an investigator of Talamasca

Yuri was the premier investigator for the Talamasca. He had belonged to the secret order of ‘psychic detectives’ since he was a child. He was most effective tracer of missing persons, a tireless and accurate gatherer of information, a spy in normal world, a natural and infallible private eye. He loved Talamasca. He only worked for Aaron Lightner or David Talbot, very high placed in the Order. Yuri was a Serbian gypsy, tall, and dark-skinned. When the gypsies got Yuri that was when his bitterness and his silence began. 

He never forgot that they had been his own kinsmen, his cousins, this band of thieves who bought children and dragged them Paris and Rome to steal. They had got their hands on Yuri after his mother’s death in her native village in Serbia, a miserable place. As for Yuri’s father, he never knew that man – an American from Los Angeles and rich. Before Yuri and his mother had left Rome on the last journey together, she had hidden in a safe-deposit box the passport of Yuri’s father, along with some money, some photographs and a fine watch. His father died when Yuri was only two. Yuri was ten before he managed to reclaim those old treasures. The gypsies had had him stealing in Paris for months, then in Venice, and in Florence.

Yuri was getting hungry he would go into a restaurant. He saw a man at a café table, a man in his twenties with fine tailored clothes. Not only was this person sick, he was old and also drunk. He helped him to his hotel. The sick man tried to call a man. The call was to a man in London. Andrew got worse, he vomited blood. His father flew to Rome for the sick Andrew. But Andrew died, then his father showed up. Later he found the old man wasn’t really his father. They were in organization. Andrew came to Rome in order to die. The Englishman was Aaron Lightner. Yuri came to love London. When he learnt that he was to go to school at Oxford, he was delighted by the decision, and he spent six years there. By the age of twenty- six, Yuri was ready to become a serious member of the Order.

Aaron wanted Yuri to go to Donnelaith in Scotland, and his mission was looking for Rowan Mayfair and a male companion, very tall, slender, and dark hair. No one in Donnelaith was out to know about the investigation. He learnt Rowan was seen in Donnelaith about for weeks earlier.

Yuri considered it was a meeting of mystery and science. He tried to propagate. There were some evidences indicated some members of the Mayfair family might be useful for Lasher, that the family carried a genetic peculiarity, an entire set of chromosomes which other humans didn’t have. This is the evidence that Michael Curry carried this surplus of mysterious chromosomes. Rowan and Curry had produced the unique restore, Lasher.

Rowan Mayfair had been destroyed by its attempt to reproduce. Her body has been ravaged by her brief aborted pregnancies. Other women in the family, lacking the surplus chromosomes, suffered fatal hemorrhages within hours of the creature’s visitation. The doctor who analyzed the forensic evidence from the site of the creature’s birth, now was dead. Dr. Larkin who delivered the sample material, who came to discuss with the family, has completely disappeared. Rowan sent X-ray film, printout of electroencephalograms. 

New Orleans

Michael also saw the creature, he was six feet two, he was thin, he was wearing Michael’s clothes. The ghost, the Devil, Lasher. Michael had a fight with him out by the pool, he knocked Michael into water. The smells came out from him, the same smell was in the living room where he was born. Rowan suffered a uterine hemorrhage. She was forty-six years old. Ryan Mayfair was pretty smart lawyer. Another Mayfair woman died. Edith Mayfair died a uterine hemorrhage. Lasher impregnated Gifford, and she lost the child. 

The Devil, he called himself Lasher, had already omitted crimes. He had stolen perhaps he had killed for the passport. He raped his mother, Rowan many timer. She was his prisoner. He made love to her over and over, wheter she was asleep or awake.

There was someone in Gifford house. Indeed, the man had Gifford was one who saw Lasher. He stood very close to her. He was nearly monstrously tall and the bone of the forehead very prominent beneath the smooth skin. He declared his name Lasher. He was in the flesh, have come again, with his beautiful Mayfair witch. He stared at her warily, the face of a child, mobile, and seductive. He raped her, the demon wanted a baby from Gifford. She was nearly death, in her mind she only thought of her husband, Ryan, and her son, Pierce. Uncle Ryan, the family lawyer, the family protector. 

Donnelaith , Scotland

It wasn’t a town at all. Tours were offered of the ruined castle above the loch. Rowan could see the place where Suzanne, the cunning woman of the village, had called up a spirit name Lasher and that spirit had attached itself forever to Suzanne’s female descendents. Donnelaith, it was an archaeological project apparently funded entirely by Mayfair family.

After visiting Donnelaith, Rowan flew back to the States, she had arranged their flight to Houston, that city was very near to New Orleans. She threatened demon, if he killed Michael, she would take her own life. Rowan was miscarried twice, she was weak and sick. A person could have a hemorrhage without it being a miscarriage.

Julien’s Story

He was born in 1828. He could see ghosts all the time; heard spirits; could see life living a body when the body died; could read people’s mind, and sometimes even more or hurt matter without even really got angry or meaning  did it. He was a natural witch or warlock. A Mayfair male could have everything he desired – wine, woman, and wealth beyond imagining. But he could seek to know the family secret. It had never been common among the very rich to read; it was more like the middle-class obsession. But the Mayfairs had all been lovers of books. He could read French, English. Latin, and did self learning on German, Italy, and Spanish.

His mother, Marguerite, had not cared for ancient history, never heard the word Donnelaith. Magic was her passion, she had befriended the powerful voodooiennes of New Orleans. She had learned from them, she would now hell, spellbind, and cast curses with good effect, and in all the Lasher was her slave and devotee and lover. She was maniacally focused upon her magical experiments.  She had had the girl child, would try to another, stronger girl.

When Julien was nine years old, he demanded of the fiend. Mean time his gifts and those of her mother were growing stronger. They healed, casted the spells, and sent Lasher to spy upon those about whom they would know the truth, and sometimes to gauge the financial change in future.

By the time he was fifteen, he knew seven languages, and could write very well in any one, and was the unofficial overseer and manager of the entire plantation. Cousin Augustin grew jealous of him, and so in a fit of rage Julien shot him. Thw whole family went into chaos, Augustin’s descendants left the Mayfair’s land.

It was 1847 by the time. As the city grew rich and yearly full of more diversions, he carried out with his mother in the privacy of the study their worst sacrifices to the daemon. Their first victim of any note was a voodoo doctor, a mulatto, very old, but still strong. With each new victim, they grew more cunning and bold; and more hopeful; the learnt that the body must be strong, not old, and that a youngster with no family or home was their best prospect. He was the only male ever to have power with Lasher.

The Mayfairs 

Alicia, Mona’s mother had miscarried and had been died when her daughter came to see her. There had been another death. Lindsay Mayfair had been found dead in Houston, Texas. Clytee Mayfair did not live far from Lindsay, and died nearly the same time. Mandy Mayfair’s death was the midway between Edith’s and Alicia’s. The immediate autopsy result on Edith and Alicia Mayfair indicated they miscarried. There was genetic mutant male with ninety two chromosomes preying on the women in the Mayfairs, attempting to impregnate them and apparently killing them.

Somebody was walked out of Keplinger with all the material Rowan Mayfair entrusted to Larkin. Mitch Flanagan was on behalf of Dr. Samuel Larkin for Dr. Rowan Mayfair. Flanagan was dead. He was struck by a car crossing California Street.

Rowan had been found, the ambulance was taking her straight to hospital. There had been enormous toxic damage in her brain, the kind of damaged produced by shock, drug overdose, an allergic reaction. Aaron was old, in his eighties. Lasher was trying desperately to propagate. Dr. Samuel Larkin was probably dead.

A letter from the new Superior General Anton Marcus, Yuri and Aaron were excommunicated without prejudiced. The investigation of the Mayfair Witches was now in the hands of Eric Stolov and Clement Norgan. Aaron had abandoned the Elder’s orders. 

She had been hemorrhaging, just like the others, though she wasn’t dead. Rowan had been escaped, a truck driver had brought her to hospital. Rowan was stable. Lasher showed up instantly. Michael attacked him near death. But Erich Stolov, a new generation of Talamasca, asked Michael not to kill him. Michael slammed the hammer right into the soft spot in the top Lasher’s head. The blood exploded, he died instantly.

It was a soft heartbroken crying, like a child. The crying voice came from Rowan’s room. A great tall girl sat on the side of the bed, she saw Michael. Her tear-filled eyes opened wide, just like Lasher’s eyes. Rowan shot three bullets into the girl’s face. Rowan was healed after she drank the milk from the dead girl, incarnated Emaleth.

*****

11 p.m

March 9, 2015

Sekapur Sirih

Isu komputer kerap dibawa, memang bisa dipahami pada awal tahun sembilan puluhan, ketika novel ini diterbitkan, komputer suatu barang mewah dan langka, pembaca dibawa mengenang kembali istilah DOS. Fiksi setebal 882 halaman terdiri dari 39 bagian merupakan novel bertema penyihir, silsilah keluarga, kasih, cinta, kejahatan, istilah kedokteran dan biologi, teknologi komputer, dan seksual.

Kisah keluarga penyihir Mayfair yang tinggal di New Orleans, keluarga tua, berpuluh generasi, dan kaya. Mereka memiliki bisnis bidang laboratorium kesehatan, investor, dan saham.

Secara bahasa fiksi ini cukup mudah dimengerti, namun secara keseluruhan isi cerita sulit dipahami; diantaranya dibingungkan oleh banyaknya tokoh silsilah keluarga penyihir Mayfair. Novel ini merupakan sekuel  novel the Mayfair Witches, lanjutan dari the Witching Hours. Walau belum membaca buku sebelumnya, cerita ini berdiri sendiri sehingga tetap bisa dinikmati. Kisah penyihir ini tidak tepat bagi pembaca di bawah umur, banyak mengeksplorasi seks. (Bali sempat disinggung pada halaman 178, tempat tokoh Yuri berlibur).

Terjemahan (Ringkasan) dalam Bahasa Indonesia: Lasher (1993), Anne Rice

Keluarga penyihir Mayfair telah hidup berpuluh generasi di New Orleans. Keluarga besar itu tengah dikejutkan dengan menghilangnya Rowan Mayfair dan kematian Deidre Mayfair (ibu dari Rowan). Tidak hanya itu, kematian lain pun menyusul hingga menewaskan sejumlah wanita keturunan Mayfair.

Talamasca sebuah organisasi yang berisikan ilmuwan dan investigator dalam penangangan kasus silsilah keluarga (terutama orang-orang yang berhubungan dengan kehidupan dunia hitam) berdasarkan uji ilmiah. Bagi organisasi Talamasca, Mayfair adalah keluarga penyihir unik; saling menikahi sesama anggota keluarga Mayfair, apalagi nona muda Mona Mayfair berayah-ibukan Mayfair. Gadis berusia enam belas tahun ini gesit, cerdas, dan piawai menggunakan komputer; di mana anggota keluarga lain tidak ada yang mahir dengan teknologi baru itu. Dari kebanyakan nama dalam sejarah keluarga yang dipelajarinya, Mona sangat tertarik dengan kisah Oncle Julien.

Suara penyihir itu sering memanggil-manggil Mona. Bahkan dalam mimpi ia sering bertemu Julien. Tidak hanya itu, sang kakek moyang juga sering membawa pikirannya ke masa lalu menyaksikan kisah keluarga. Tak satu pun yang peduli dengan pengakuan Mona, hanya dia dan kekasihnya Michael. Lelaki itu juga sering mendapat mimpi, bisa mendengar, dan melihat penyihir Julien.

Roh dan kekuatan penyihir itu masih berdiam di rumahnya, tempat di mana Julien hidup dan meninggal ratusan tahun silam. Sesungguhnya rumah itu tidak lagi menyeramkan, Michael telah merenovasinya. Tetapi sudut-sudut rumah itu tetap meyimpan majis dan tidak luput dari kehadiran Julien dan iblis lain.

Kebanyakan anggota Mayfair di New Orleans tidak mau tahu dengan kisah sejarah keluarga mereka, apalagi Bibi Gifford sangat anti; terutama rumah utama penyihir, yang kini ditempati Michael Curry dan Rowan Mayfair. Bibi Gifford, seorang berhati baik, pengasih, hanya dialah satu-satunya peduli dengan hilangnya Rowan Mayfair setelah melahirkan.

Kedua orang tua Mona peminum berat dan mabuk sepanjang hari. Mereka tidak menyadari putrinya mendatangi rumah anker itu, hal terlarang. Gadis belia itu baru saja membaca arsip panjang dari catatan Talamasca, baru saja mengetahui sejarah kelam keluarganya.

Aaron Lightner seorang ilmuwan Talamasca membeberkan semua kisah suram dan jaya keluarga itu. Seorang wanita licik dan jahat bernama Suzanne di sebuah desa di Donnelaith, Skotlandia tahun 1659, dibakar hidup-hidup pada sebuah tiang. Ia telah membuat perjanjian dengan setan bernama Lasher, kekuatan hitam yang membuatnya bisa membaca pikiran orang, membuat benda terbang, dan melakukan berbagai kegiatan sihir; sejumlah jahat lain yang melukai orang lain dan menguntungkan dirinya termasuk memperkaya diri. Tidak sekedar itu, ia juga terlibat perjanjian abadi dengan Lasher, termasuk kesenangan seks. Anggota keluarga Mayfair hingga keturunan ketigabelas seperti Rowan dan beberapa wanita berdarah Mayfair lainnya berada dalam kutuk.

Walau Lasher sudah dibakar jelas-jelas ratusan tahun lalu, mahkluk itu kembali muncul dalam daging dan darah; terlahir dari rahim Rowan Mayfair. Kelahirannya diikuti dengan bau aroma khas bumbu masakan, sosok besar itu melukai ayahnya Michael, dan menyandera ibunya sendiri Rowan. Pertumbuhannya sangat tidak wajar, tubuhnya membesar dengan cepat, dan nafsu setannya memerkosa Rowan. Iblis itu menyadari dirinya adalah Lasher, menagih janji, dan ingin melanjutkan keturunan di bumi. Rowan membawanya ke dunia.

Di bawah ancaman kekuatan gelapnya, Rowan pun dibawa ke Donnelaith di mana ia pertama kali menjadi bagian keluarga Donnelaith. Sebuah desa kini menjadi reruntuhan, terdahulu sempat menjadi situs arkeologi, dikembangkan dan didanai keluarga Julien Mayfair dari Amerika. Mengunjungi desa itu, Lasher masih dapat merasakan berada saat bersama Suzanne.

Dr. Rowan Mayfair berusia empat puluh tahun, adalah doktor dan ilmuwan di pusat penelitan laboratorium medis yang dipunyai oleh keluarga Mayfair. Sebelum Rowan menjadi sandera, ia sempat mengirimkan sampel darahnya dan milik Lasher serta air susunya sendiri untuk diteliti rekan kepercayaannya Dr. Samuel Larkin di Keplinger Institut. Dr. Larkin bersama timnya mendapati kromoson dari makhluk itu tidak normal, sebaliknya Rowan normal.

Di sisi lainnya, keluarga meminta Aaron Lightner dari Talamasca untuk mencari keberadaan Rowan dan sosok lelaki yang menculiknya. Lelaki berusia tujuh puluh sembilan tahun itu, segera terbang meninggalkan kantornya di kota London ke New Orleans. Bagi Mayfair, Aaron sudah tidak asing, selain pembuat investigasi keluarga, ia tengah menjalin hubungan dengan wanita Mayfair bernama Beatrice.

Setelah melewati uji forensik serta sampel yang didapat dari tempat kejadian, dihubungkan dengan sejarah keluarga penyihir Mayfair. Aaron Lightner dan tangan kanannya Yuri Stefano, seorang investigator Talamasca berdarah Gypsy, mengaitkan Donnelaith dengan kisah Lasher. Iblis itu ingin menghamili setiap wanita Mayfair. Kematian puluhan anggota Mayfair memiliki kesamaan gejala yakni keguguran dan hemorhage.

Michael Curry telah diselamatkan dari kematiannya oleh Rowan di sebuah pantai. Lelaki terkenal itu dan Rowan akhirnya saling jatuh cinta dan menikah. Michael menuduh Lasher telah menculik bayinya dan Rowan. Ia sempat berkelahi dengan sosok besar itu, hanya saja ia terlalu lemah, terpelanting jatuh. Michael tidak menyadari Lasher adalah bayi yang dilahirkan istrinya.

Kromoson unik Michael dan Rowan telah membuat kuat berhasil membawa Lasher ke dunia, puluhan Mayfair lainnya tidak memiliki kromoson kuat untuk mempertahankan bayi Lasher; keguguran yang mengantarkan mereka pada kematian.

Mengalami keguguran dua kali dan sejumlah lebam di tubuh Rowan membuatnya melemah, ia menjadi tawanan Lasher, sosok yang dilahirkannya. Rowan terlalu lemah melawan iblis itu, namun dengan sejumlah perjuangan akhirnya ia berhasil melarikan diri Lasher. Sangat beruntung, seorang supir truk berhasil membawanya ke rumah sakit.

Sebelum menikah Dr. Rowan Mayfair adalah ilmuwan di Keplinger Institite dan memiliki rekan kepercayaan di usaha penelitan dan laboratorium. Sebelum menghilang Rowan sempat mengirimkan beberapa sampel untuk dikaji. Setelah pengujian lab. dilakukan, Dr. Larkin tidak ditemukan jejaknya dan seorang stafnya yang terlibat dalam pengujian juga tewas terbunuh.

Baik penyidik Talamasca dan Keplinger Institute memiliki kesamaan hasil tes akan sampel cairan yang diuji laboratoris. Lasher bukan manusia, dan menurut Talamasca Lasher ingin membuat keturunan di bumi lewat wanita berdarah Mayfair. Lasher dalam pengejaran, tetapi akhirnya sosok itu mencari ibunya Rowan, dan berhasil dibunuh oleh Michael dengan menancapkan palu pada kepala mahkluk besar itu.

Dalam tubuh organisasi Talamasca sendiri terjadi konflik; ketua baru memecat Aaron dan Yuri karena dianggap mengabaikan perintah. Investigator baru bernama Stolov dan rekannya dikirim untuk mengambil alih kasus Mayfair, tetapi pada akhirnya kedua tim bekerja sama. Keadaan Rowan pun memulih, kebahagiaan keluarga ditambahkan oleh berita bagus datang dari Mona dan Aaron. 

Mona meminta maaf pada Rowan dan Michael. Gadis liar itu mengakui kesalahannya. Gadis itu terlalu mudah diberdayakan dan dipengaruhi oleh penyihir Julien. Mona dan Michael sempat menjalin hubungan gelap selama Rowan menghilang. Gadis belia itu akhirnya mendapatkan kehangatan cinta dari Yuri Stefano. Pada usianya yang ke tujuh puluh sembilan, Aaron menikahi Beatrice Mayfair. Kini Aaron resmi menjadi anggota keluarga Mayfair.

Suara tangisan wanita, seolah rengekan bayi perempuan, terdengar dari kamar tidur, setelah didekati sosok itu mirip Lasher, versi wanita. Michael tidak tega menembak sosok tinggi yang sedang merengek, sebaliknya dengan tegas Rowan melepaskan tiga peluru pada putrinya, bayi aneh itu. Ia segera pulih setelah meminum air susu putrinya, titisan jelmaan penyihir Emaleth.