Craig has a strange and unsettling habit of changing his appearance in front of Juliet’s eyes. What is this all about? It is certainly a gift that he has, and a skill that does come from an arcane body of knowledge. You will have to read “Mystical Circles” to find out exactly how Craig does this, and what it means. But it is a phenomenon I have myself witnessed in the past.
EXTRACT FROM “MYSTICAL CIRCLES”
Then she dropped her fork. Craig’s features had changed. She wasn’t at all sure how, but his face was unrecognisable. She stared. Her fingers had turned cold. All the charm of his handsome features had melted away, and now she saw something that looked to her like an ancient face, like a stone carving on a rock in the rose-red city of Petra in Jordan.
Most creepy of all, Zoe appeared totally unaware of it. So did Rory and Don.
Juliet continued to stare at Craig, dumbstruck. As she did so, his former identity returned, shifting back into place like the next frame on a movie reel.
“Thank you, Rory, that’s enough.” Craig now evidently considered it time to insist upon a change of subject.
But Juliet could barely continue eating. Her fingers were trembling too. What had she just witnessed? Or had she imagined it? Had somebody spiked her wine? Certainly, nobody else seemed to have noticed Craig doing anything untoward.
At this moment, Craig caught her eye. She read in his glance, Don’t worry. You’ll understand, later.
Zoe had now clearly noticed something. She looked suspicious.
Taking a grip on herself, Juliet lifted another forkful of food, trying to push down her disbelief at what she’d seen. She determined to find out later what had happened. But most definitely she couldn’t think of Craig in the same way again.
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“I can change my appearance at will,” Craig said.
Juliet felt a jolt in her abdomen. “You mean suddenly look like a different person?”
He nodded, keeping her within his gaze. “Completely different. It’s all about having a fluid and flexible ego. The shamans have mastered it. Once you’ve learned the skill, it’s like a classic sorcery tale. Shapeshifting. Close friends will fail to recognise you.”
A creepy sensation travelled up her spine. He released her. She flexed her shoulders and arms for a few moments, trying to calm her breathing. She didn’t trust herself to pursue the subject further. “Shall we sit down again?” she suggested.
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She struggled to settle her inner turmoil. But, instead, whilst groping towards some kind of exit from the fog gathering around her, she slipped further in. Now she felt a curious instability, as if she was on a jetliner that had flown into an air pocket. In the next moment she received the impression that Craig’s features had melted and re-aligned themselves.
Instead of looking at him, she believed she faced someone infinitely old and wizened, and Peruvian in appearance. The image of an ancient carved face on a rock in an Inca city, presented itself to her. It shifted again, and a new face emerged, that of a shabby, travel-stained New Age traveller.
With a desperate effort of the will, she regained her awareness of Don beside her. But he was set into a freeze– frame. His hand had risen, perhaps to admonish Craig, but had then been arrested in mid-air. He wore a glazed expression.
Craig smiled, and as he did so the spell, or whatever it was, lifted. All returned to normal. Don’s hand dropped to his side.
Juliet realised she’d held her breath for several moments. She gasped the air back into her lungs. Her heart was pounding. Craig had done it again. Changed appearance. What was it with him? How did he do it? It frightened her. Her eyes were fixed upon his face. She hardly cared if he thought her rude to stare at him.
Then Don spoke. “Well, Craig? What’s your answer?” It was as if nothing had happened. Hadn’t Don noticed? She was astounded.
Craig interlocked his fingers, and laid them lightly upon his knee. “I believe we must learn to live at a high level of uncertainty,” he said.
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