A Faery Tale

The rest of the week was quiet compared to the way it started. Tomash and I were reassigned to the shop while the painters took the stage. My job was to create architectural finishes for the giant scene panels by carving blocks of Styrofoam. I spent the entire week covered in tiny plastic balls and covered in flexglue, which was used to harden the foam along with cheesecloth.

The panels were up to 10 meters high and were laid out 120 degrees apart so that they could be rotated to create different backdrops. This was the first time I had worked on scenery for an opera, and whenever I stopped long enough to think about it, it blew me away how big all this stuff was.

We were under pressure to wrap up quickly so the painters could rotate from the stage to the scenery by the end of the week. We had to break everything down and move it to the theatre the next week and begin fitting and testing the fully assembled system. After that, the actors took the stage for the final week and us carps were only on hand to make adjustments and repairs.

We got word that two of Manny's fingers were reattached, and because the cuts were clean, the doctors said he should regain most of their function. The third finger was cut very close to the tip and couldn't be reattached, so Manny would spend the rest of his life with a short ring finger. It reminded me of the old joke about the carpenter on a job interview holding up his mangled hand to show how many years he'd been a carpenter.

By Friday, most of the work was down to touch-ups and preparing for disassembly. The painters had finished the stage and it was drying, and had started on the first set of panels for the stage left turntable.

While there was a bit of a lull in the work, I went into Bruno's office to call the company hiring for the film project.

"Bruno says you're top notch," the voice said on the other end. I was surprised to hear a British voice, since the company was based in Switzerland. "Do you think you can head up a crew?"

"Sure, no problem," I said, not really convinced of my own ability. "What's the crew size?"

"You'll have 10 carps under you. The Greek segment will be fairly easy. Your crew will repaint several houses and dress the exteriors – mostly façade appliques. Fairly basic stuff," the voice said. "The Italy segment will be a bit more complex. You'll be building entire edifices and working with pyro to rig them with squibs and explosives."

"Sounds exciting," I said, truly intrigued by the project. "What's the name of the film?"

"For your eyes only," the voice said.

"Don't worry," I said, unused to all the secrecy. "I can keep a secret."

The voice laughed, "No, the name of the film is For Your Eyes Only. It's a new Bond film."

"Bond as in James? 007?"

"Yes, that's the one," the voice said.

"Oh wow, very cool," I said, mostly to myself.

"OK good, then," the voice continued. "Can you get here by August 15th?"

I looked at Bruno, though he had no idea why. "Sure, my current project wraps on the 15th of July, so that gives me a month to go 300 kilometers. Shouldn't be a problem," I laughed.

"Excellent," the voice said. "Get here a couple of days early and we'll get you processed and go over the drawings and time line."

"No problem," I replied.

We wrapped up the call after I got the address, phone number, contact name, and other necessary information.

"Don't disappoint me," Bruno said, half joking. "This could be a big opportunity. That company stays busy all the time and you could end up with a long-term gig."

"I really appreciate it," I said, humbled. "This sounds amazing and I promise I'll give it my all."

"I've seen your work and I like your dedication," Bruno said. "I think you have a solid career ahead of you."

"Thank you," I said, feeling both unworthy and puffed up at the same time. "I'll be sure to let you know how it goes."

I went back to the shop to finish up the day. Max blew the whistle at 5 o'clock and we gathered to get our pay packets. I was starting to wonder what I was going to do with all the cash I was accumulating. I had nearly $3,000 in the bottom of my pack, which represented nearly everything I had in the world. If I was robbed again, like Morocco, or I lost my pack for some reason, I was screwed. I made the decision to open a bank account as soon as I had the chance. I had to be sure the bank had branches in every country, or I wouldn't have access to my money without having to travel to the nearest branch.

I showered up and got ready for dinner. I wasn't meeting Uta tonight, and instead she would pick me up at 6 a.m. tomorrow for some kind of adventure, though she wouldn't tell me any details.

Tomash and I walked down to the local and were greeting with whoops and laughter by the Karl, Ignatz and the gang. They shoved each other aside and wouldn't hear of us sitting anywhere else as the waitress brought two more chairs. We ate and drank and sang songs well into the night, but eventually I had to excuse myself, explaining that I had to meet my fiancé (the word seemed powerful to me) in the morning for a special outing.

After some ribbing and a challenge to make more kids than Ignatz, I departed and barely navigated my way back to my room.

The alarm went off at 5 a.m., and I jumped up, instandly regretting it as I nearly passed out again from all the beer the night before. I stumbled to the shower and got dressed, finally getting to use my new shoes. I was out the door ten minUtas early, and of course Uta was already there and waiting.

She grabbed me and locked me in a suffocating kiss, then told me to get in the car. We sped away and for the next two hours drove through some of the most peaceful and idyllic countryside I had ever seen. Uta exited the autobahn under a large sign that read, "HOHENSCHWANGAU / SCHLOSS NEUSCHWANSTEIN".

"We're going to a castle?" I asked. That sounded like fun, though all the castles I had seen so far were mostly piles of cut stones that had crumbled ages ago.

"Not just any castle," Uta said, pointing out the window.

I looked ahead and saw the strangest sight. It looked like Disney's Cinderella castle jutting up above the trees. The morning light made it glow bright white against the brown and grey of the mountains behind it.

"There's a Disneyland here?" I asked, deeply perplexed.

Uta laughed. "Not quite. This is the model for Disney's castle, but this is the real thing."

"Wow," was about the only comprehensible utterance I could manage.

"Schloss Neuschwanstein," she said, "Built in 1870 by the mad king Ludwig the Second."

I paused for a minute to absorb the scene.

"That's amazing," I said at last, "What was he mad about?"

Uta looked at me as if to answer, the smirked and punched my arm playfully. "Shut up," she commanded. I did as I was told.

We pulled into the vast car park. I was a bit disappointed to see a dozen tourist buses already lined up. Uta apparently read my expression.

"Don't worry," she said. "We won't stay with the tour groups."

She swung the car into a parking space and we climbed out. The air was fresh and cool with the powerful scent of pine and cedar. We hiked up a long, winding walkway until we got to the ticketing booths. There was already a line, but it moved with German efficiency. Uta bought the tickets and grabbed my hand, giggling with conspiratorial glee.

When we arrived at the drawbridge, we milled about waiting for the first tour group to muster. We played grab-ass and smooched and worked each other into a hormonal froth of boiling lust. At last, a woman emerged from the main entrance with an umbrella pointed towards the sky. I looked at Uta and smiled, and her green eyes locked knowingly into mine and twinkled.

We moved in with the group and toured through room after room of opulence and wealth the likes of which I had never imagined. Gold, jewels, crystal and mirrors adorned every room and created an atmosphere of pure fantasy. A large ballroom had elaborate chandeliers and rich tapestries on the walls. I admired the incredible woodwork throughout the entire castle – heavy dark mahogany and birch on the wainscoting, floor and furniture.

One dining table was a single plank of oak two meters wide and five meters long. The heavy wooden chairs looked identical from a distance, but up close they were each unique works of hand-carved art. The place settings were silk, silver, crytal, and bone china. I could have lived for a year off just one of them.

As the guide was speaking, I leaned over to Uta's ear and whispered, "Do you bring all your boyfriends here?"

She pinched my rear and looked incredulous. "You are the first I ever wanted for this fantasy."

"Your fantasy is to walk around someone else's castle?"

She slapped my arm playfully, "No silly. Just wait."

We wandered in and out of rooms so decadent that I felt unworthy just standing in them. It was easy to imagine royalty and courtiers standing around discussing affairs of state…or at least affairs.

After a rather long walk, we reached the king's bedroom. The massive four-posted, canopied bed was the centerpiece of a room so large that an entire family of peasants could have lived inside it.

I looked at Uta and said, "I can't imagine living like this."

She squeezed my hand, then placed it on the small of her back. Through the thin cotton I could feel the searing heat of her lust. I stroked her spine lightly and felt her shiver.

As the group began to move on, the guide shot Uta a quick look and winked. I looked at Uta, who grinned wickedly.

When the tour group started to leave, she silently put a hand on my forearm to hold me back. When everyone had gone, she quickly ran to a wall opposite the bed and touched something. A panel sprung open revealing a small dark hallway. She motioned for me to quickly follow her. I scurried past her, ducking into through the small doorway as she closed the panel behind us.

There were two dim lamps lighting the passage and I could barely stand erect in it, with my outstretched arms easily touching either side.

She grabbed my arm and we walked quickly down the narrow corridor until it came to an abrupt end in a small room with a grotto cut into the far wall and two other passages run off in opposite directions.

"This is where Ludwig brought his chambermaids to play," she said as she sat on the edge of the grotto. She pulled her dress up to reveal her naked flesh and spread her legs to indicate that I was now in the role of the Mad King and she was my chambermaid. I moved towards her and she undid my pants and pushed them down, exposing my excitement. I took her feet and placed them on my shoulders, and her hips thrust forward to meet mine.

She climaxed almost instantly, and followed that with two or three more before my own. She dropped to her knees and brought me back to attention, then bent over with her hands on the narrow shelf. I lifted her dress and entered from the rear.

With no windows and no clocks, there was no way to tell how long we were in there, but we were both satiated, sweating and panting for breath after numerous orgasms. After a short break, she knelt again and gave me a tongue bath that brought me once again to ecstacy.

She stood and embraced me, kissing me deeply. "Thank you," she said hoarsely.

"For what?"

"Making my fantasy come true." She kissed me again, then took me by the hand and led me down the corridor. At the door we had entered, she stopped and pressed her ear to it. After a moment, she pulled a small lever and we quickly exited into the bedroom, and she pushed the panel closed with a click.

Leaving the King's chamber, we found another tour group heading towards the main hall and we quietly slid into the rear of it.

We completed the tour seeing more bedrooms, the kitchen, servants' quarters, and dungeon. At one point, I looked at my watch. It was nearly one o'clock. We had been wandering through the castle for five hours and I realized I was starving. Neither of us had eaten on the way.

Once outside, we made our way back to the car. Uta handed me the keys, "You drive."

"Where are we going?"

"I will tell you when to turn."

We got in the car and I fired it up. We pulled out onto the road and eventually the autobahn headed west. As I drove, Uta reached over and undid my pants, causing me to swerve while she opened my pants and released my tool. She leaned over, taking me in her warm, wet mouth and began to work up and down my shaft. I tried desperately to concentrate on driving as I exploded down her throat.

My head fogged up. I could barely focus on the road. I looked at the speedometer and saw that I had slowed to just 50kph on the autobahn, with traffic flying past us.

"Oh my God," I exclaimed and hit the gas. Uta sprung up, hitting the gear shift and putting the car in neutral. The engine roared as I panicked and swerved onto the shoulder of the road. "Holy shit," I croaked. After a moment I added, "That was the scariest orgasm I've ever had."

Uta laughed wickedly as she licked a bit of my juice off her lips. She kissed me and helped me rearrange my pants. When I had collected my thoughts again, I put the car in gear and we merged back into traffic.

After a time, Uta told me to take the next exit. I pulled off the autobahn and we turned onto a small country road. We drove for about 10 minutes before coming to a small village. It was like something out of a movie. There was a large open square with a fountain in the center. Directly behind it was the Rathaus. To one side, there was a general store and to the other was a guest house. Around and behind the buildings were several family homes. The entire village looked frozen in time…something out of the 18th century, but for the handful of cars scattered around.

Uta told me to pull up to the guest house and she got out and went inside. After a few minutes, she came out and motioned me to join her. I killed the engine and got out, discretely checking to be sure my pants were properly fastened. I went inside and Uta was nowhere to be seen. I waited a few moments and she eventually came down the large wooden staircase with a woman I assumed ran the place.

"What do you think?" she asked in English, apparently not wanting the other woman to be part of the conversation.

"Of the place? Very nice. It's like a giant antique," I said admiring the carved wooden panels and plastered walls.

"Good," she said, "We're staying here tonight."

I smiled in approval and we headed into the dining room. It was massive, with tall ceilings, animal heads mounted all around, and a large section of wall filled with photos – some dating back at least 100 years. There were group shots of what might have been the entire village on special occasions, and portraits of individuals and families.

Around the walls were booths with high-backed benches and heavy wooden tables. In the center of the room was a series of long tables and benches. The set up was what I was beginning to realize was the standard lay out in any public house. The place was empty, I assumed because we were either late for lunch or early for dinner, depending on how you looked at it.

Uta and I slid into one of the booths together and a pile of food began arriving shortly after, with two liter glassed of dark beer. My stomach began to growl and Uta's full attention was on sorting out the food situation. There were smoked sausages, sauerkraut, cold cuts and cheese slices, a basket of fresh hot rolls, and two small bowls with mayonnaise and course-ground mustard. The smells were incredible and I took a long swig of beer before laying into the food. We ate for what must have been an hour, until neither of us could fit another bite.

We both yawned and laughed at each other for doing it. I got up and helped Uta to her feet. We went upstairs to the room.

As we entered, I stopped short. The room was like a museum piece. A huge four-poster bed with massive overstuffed mattress, thick comforters and a dozen or so pillows of different sizes and shapes. There was a single armchair in the corner and a small window with rounded top hung with layers of drapery. There were several small throw rugs around the floor and a table with mirror against the wall next to the door.

Uta went over and pulled the drapes while I closed the door. She immediately shed her clothes and I followed her lead. She pulled down the comforter on the bed, exposing soft cotton sheets, and we climbed in, sinking into mattress as if it were soft bread dough folding around us.

"I love you," Uta said softly.

"I love you, too," I said as she snuggled her head on my shoulder. We were both asleep in seconds.

I woke up suddenly, disoriented. After a moment, I remembered were I was. Uta was still asleep, her soft naked body pressed against mine. The sound of oom-pah music filtered up from downstairs. I maneuvered my arm to look at my watch. It was nearly 8 o'clock. We had slept for four hours.

Uta stirred and her hand slid down my chest, across my stomach and stopped on my groin. She slowly stroked me until I was at full attention, then she rolled on top of me, took me inside and began to slowly move her hips while kissing my neck and shoulder. We climaxed together in a full embrace and lay there for a time, enjoying the sour-sweet perfume of our love-making.

Suddenly, Uta jumped up. "Come on," she said excitedly.

We dressed and went down the large staircase. This time, the dining room was full of people, nearly the entire village, I figured, if they were all locals. One of the long tables was full of men doing snuff and drinking tankards of beer, not unlike the group at my local in Munich. There was another long table, all women, and I guessed they were the wives of the men at the other table. There were several young families and couples, and a four-piece band in the corner belting out tunes as if their lives depended on it.

Uta and I sat at one of the empty booths and a teenage girl came past and handed us menus before scurrying on to the next table. I settled on the roasted duck and vegetables, while Uta chose the veal schnitzel. On the next pass, the girl brought us glasses of the same dark beer and took our order. I assumed the beer was the house brew, since every glass in the room had the same dark frothy liquid.

After we ate the incredible meal, we sat and watched the rest of the crowd. "Do you still want to marry me?" I asked, breaking the after-meal reverie.

Just then, the band struck up a popular folk tune and Uta shoved me off the bench and dragged me out to dance. I had no idea what I was supposed to do, so she began to teach me the steps. At one point, one of the young couples got up and started dancing. I watched them for a moment, then I grabbed Uta and started imitating the steps. Before long, I had picked up the dance and we were swirling and laughing. Other couples had joined the dance and the band seemed determined to play the tune until we all collapsed.

Finally, the tune ended and Uta and I shuffled back to our table, exhausted and panting. As we sat down, another round of beer came to the table and as we picked up our glasses, the entire room burst into a cheer, looking directly at us. I suddenly realized it was all a set up.

"That was the wedding dance," Uta said. "And yes, I want to marry you."