tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26992516668353502872024-02-19T11:29:47.494+00:00James Higham Short StoriesJames Highamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14525082702330365464noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2699251666835350287.post-45371775494543305682021-03-26T11:17:00.034+00:002022-06-25T14:01:43.646+00:00Fear of Foley<p><span style="color: #990000; font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-99e4BDdYgF584EOJu5Me-mHRg_LiEl586_eHDyO1tvwNR5vUL3BSQh72LXxNWpQRYlO7cnZ8xkLOUl09Ry63o-TAZ6fNeKd90T31LoZ9hXhdfjB5vXvr7lZsngaXgCC1zpsZIeNQ40/s470/centennial+plaza.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-99e4BDdYgF584EOJu5Me-mHRg_LiEl586_eHDyO1tvwNR5vUL3BSQh72LXxNWpQRYlO7cnZ8xkLOUl09Ry63o-TAZ6fNeKd90T31LoZ9hXhdfjB5vXvr7lZsngaXgCC1zpsZIeNQ40/s16000/centennial+plaza.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #990000; font-family: arial;"><b><p><b>Note for readers</b></p></b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: arial;">This story sprang from an idea:</span></p><p><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://jameshigham.wordpress.com/the-writing-of-observe-and-record-stories/" target="_blank">https://jameshigham.wordpress.com/the-writing-of-observe-and-record-stories/</a></span></p><p><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: arial;">... and even had a comment from "Ralph" before it was really underway:</span></p><p><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: arial;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Mr. Higham, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">it is fascinating reading a story as it is coming alive. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I will continue to check back in to see how Miss Magnolia fares.</span></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"></span></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #990000; font-family: arial;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><b>Story now completed.</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: arial;">I</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">'Have a look at that lady going by, Chas,' said Ken Young to his visitor from England, just arrived, bag hastily dumped in his bedroom, now back in the front room with the polished floor and rug, 'the one with the baby boy in the push chair and the toddler girl walking beside her.'</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">'The pretty one </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1e1e; font-family: arial;">or that one over by the store?’</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1e1e; font-family: arial;">‘The pretty one - pink and soft greys, cuddly, brownish hair. Now smelling the blossom on that low hanging branch. Now the toddler’s smelling it and the baby wants out of that push chair.’</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1e1e; font-family: arial;">'Butter wouldn't melt.'</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1e1e; font-family: arial;">‘That’s where you’d be wrong. She notices fine detail, that one, a bit like Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple … only younger. Sharp as anything and yet meanders, becomes interested in things and goes off on tangents. Former Azalea Trail girl - you know about them?’</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’ve heard about them – they dress in antediluvian outfits, huge hooped dresses -’</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Antebellum, Chas, not antediluvian ... pre Civil War. Have a look at this over here, news item from your part of the world.’ He went to the laptop, found the article and clicked:</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4044320/Basking-Southern-charm-Trump-greeted-high-school-girls-stop-Thank-Tour-Alabama.html&source=gmail&ust=1616789471957000&usg=AFQjCNHkTJmE9aB_ItqFCnkumvSduh9kVA" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4044320/Basking-Southern-charm-Trump-greeted-high-school-girls-stop-Thank-Tour-Alabama.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #1ab106; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial;">https://www.dailymail.co.uk/<wbr></wbr>news/article-4044320/Basking-<wbr></wbr>Southern-charm-Trump-greeted-<wbr></wbr>high-school-girls-stop-Thank-<wbr></wbr>Tour-Alabama.html</span></a></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">'I call her Miss Magnolia,' Ken went on. 'One of a dying breed. Being a lady does not always mean the disapproving look - this one has a mischievous look. Keep your eye on her for now and consider this – not long ago, she was late for a luncheon, didn’t want to make the grand entrance, so climbed up the outside of the building and in through the open gap, seated herself while others were looking out for her the other way.’</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Nooo!’</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yep. Another tale - strolling with her husband by the river one afternoon, some rude girls blocking the way, she was about to give one of them a quick nudge into the water, he apparently convinced her not to. You don’t mess with Miss Magnolia.’</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You say Miss Magnolia. They're her grandchildren?’</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘They are. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">It's just an expression. She’s one of the old breed, manners, part of this corner of the south, resents the crass carpetbaggers buying in – that’s my expression, not hers. These people are bringing their culture with them - a culture they're supposed to be escaping from, figure that one out. There’s a world culture taking over, Chas ... and it doesn't look good.’</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘And she’s opposed? Then she’s in danger.’</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Very much so, I keep telling her to lie low. That’s why, with all the eyes watching as she goes by, some of those eyes are looking out for her, we’d be out there like a shot. But she hates people fussing over her and ‘protecting’ her.’</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">'You sound as if you care for her.'</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">'Many do, many depend on her ... and yet she's so cute and well ... enough of that.'</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘But other eyes are planning something more grisly for her you think?’</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You’d have to think so – there are some nasty things around these parts lately – sirens, helicopter, planes overhead most times – something’s going down. In fact that’s why Virginia and I have taken this place, it’s why, when you said you were coming to the States, you were always going to be coerced down here by us.’</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Chas looked across at the greying mass of hair and was intrigued. ‘I’m thinking the reason she doesn’t want to be crowded is she has other things going on. I’m thinking she’s carrying something in that baby carriage.’ </span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You guessed right,’ grinned the retired lawyer. ‘But I still don’t think you’ve hit it yet, what she has there. It’s not an Armalite, nor an Uzi, it’s something more hi-tech that I don’t know, it’s vaguely involved in sending pulses.’</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Or blocking them. I know of these things. Remind me not to get into an argument with her.’</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You won’t meet her. Also, she hates being put on pedestals, says if she fell down, she might damage something.’</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Where’s she headed now?’</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Place called Foley, there’s a monument in Centennial Plaza, epicentre for all the activity going on overhead. Have a quick look at this printout:’ He stepped over to the laptop and brought this up:</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXlHpJGcFaOfPiyOSYrxui58TEcHeyOZY0QZmrCOVm1T2P2ZtrzEN9MvPgNPcAOhMTiveqAGqT382MBboMeA6CuyqKa1U2PJ50TmwI8GliJlFnxqbVdIZiUiGL6DdTx9LBX87l1a-wXyM/s500/flurry+of+activity.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXlHpJGcFaOfPiyOSYrxui58TEcHeyOZY0QZmrCOVm1T2P2ZtrzEN9MvPgNPcAOhMTiveqAGqT382MBboMeA6CuyqKa1U2PJ50TmwI8GliJlFnxqbVdIZiUiGL6DdTx9LBX87l1a-wXyM/s16000/flurry+of+activity.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p>‘Rendition? The planes I mean.’</span><p></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Could be, among other things. We think there's something else going down, which is where you come in. There've been many things happening - land sold off, change of designated purpose. If you take out the commercial and light aircraft, you still have a pretty regular back and forth - more than standard flights I mean.’</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Chas was reflecting. ‘She can’t walk the toddler and also push the walker all that way.’</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘They’ll be met a bit further along, she’s just been checking in with me.’</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Has she just? I’ll resist the temptation to ask how - you've had no call.’</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Quite right. Time for lunch.’</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Chas now met the diminutive Virginia - unusual that it had taken so long to meet her and immediately his suspicions were raised. If anything, he'd have said she was at home in this kitchen/diner and Ken was less at home in the living room. Curious. Plus she was about thirty years younger, maybe less. Quite curious indeed.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And another thing - normally if someone visits and there are people home, those people would come to greet the visitor but in Virginia’s case ... she hadn’t. What’s more, she’d remained as quiet as a little mouse, keeping her own counsel and yet here was this scrumptious lunch of gumbo and various bits and pieces, plus a winning smile. An interesting character - he'd not want to cross her either.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The two men went out to the back ‘yard’, except it was not so much a yard as a riverfront, with one interesting aspect, around this neighbourhood anyway – no dock, nowhere to tie up. Not only that but there were no table and chairs on the grass but instead a U shaped brick wall some three yards along the short sides, four yards along the side nearest the house and about six feet high. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They had to walk around that to get into the space.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Inside, there was an electric barbecue against one of the short walls, table and chairs near the other short wall - over the brickwork was a lattice of fine wire. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Ken went over to an alcove, reached into a hatch in the wall, took out three pieces of material, synthetic, yet modern, hi-tech fabric as strong as steel, but in the form of a squarish scarf, he handed one to Chas and another to Virginia who’d just come to join them with the drinks.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Er … how to wear this?’ asked Chas.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You’ve never seen westerns?’ she replied.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I see.’</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Tea?’ she asked.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Her guest grinned because there was no question whether he’d like it or not, whether he needed sugar or not - it was now poured from the jug with the ice cubes and that was that.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Plenty more inside,’ she added. Uh huh. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Ken explained. ‘There are different parties around this area, Chas - different groups, different demographics – if you’ve already looked at a map of the US and Caribbean, it’d be obvious this is a prime corridor for "non-regular visitors". Plus we have hurricanes. We’re smack bang in the middle of it – it seems a pastoral scene ... truth is ... it’s more like Beirut.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">What makes it worse is that even the straightest acting people, the nicest – they could be the ones – Magnolia calls them Pod People. I don’t mean from outer space … at least I didn’t mean that earlier … now I’m not so sure. We’ve had rogue outfits before, of course we have, splinter groups who felt things were not tight enough, the agenda wasn't going forward fast enough – that’s always been … this is different. There are different parties interested in this area now, more than before.’</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You mean,’ said Chas, ‘difficult to know whom to trust these days?’</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘That's what it comes down to,' put in Virginia. 'Keep watching, Chas, watch the river. More tea?’ She poured it, irrespective. Truth was, it was required in this heat.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There was a bit of traffic on the water, a fair bit of bird life, probably creatures below the surface too, he thought, maybe gators, depended on the season. He was about to ask when what should chug by at the end of the grass but a boat with two men, one a bit older, one younger but seemingly not the son, and there, in prime place in the centre of the runabout, was Miss Magnolia, riverboat queen supreme, with grandchildren. Eat yer heart out, Katherine Hepburn.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The younger man stepped back, loaded something into a barrel of some kind, not a firearm but a projectile thrower of sorts. There was a cylinder sticking out the end, he fired it towards them, it landed ten feet in from the bank, cheery wave from Miss Magnolia, the old chap opened the throttle and off they went. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Ken sauntered down, brought the cylinder back, took out the sheets, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">handed one to Chas, Virginia was already reading another. Chas looked down and saw it was a profile of him, one and a half pages, Ken was grinning.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">‘All right, Ken, how about you open up about all this?’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">‘There’s a naval training area not far from here, including an airstrip, there’s another further down. Quite regular, one of five connected with Pensacola, they’re not really the issue. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The issue you yourself know about - you were looking into it in England. You also know the names Aquino, Gottlieb, Jolyon, you know about Omaha. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There are rogue elements on all bases - question is which illegal trade they’re in - is it tobacco, rum ... or stepping up - narcotics ... or to go the whole hog, the real money spinner - kids and baby parts. It’s a mire, a swamp ... no point asking anyone because the one you ask leads you astray and then you later have a boating accident.’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Then what are you hoping to achieve ... if that’s the level you’re up against? Seems to me a one way trip as gator food.’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yep and it also involves high ranking people, even church people, especially them. Truth is - many folk around here are genuinely devout, committed, but if you get the wrong one, if the phone call is made ...’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I see.’ He took another sip. ‘Where do I come into this?’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'We show you, we name names, then once you go back - you publicise from over there, plus what you were planning to do here anyway. It's the system we're looking to uncover, the grand plan, the thing they're really after. I notice you ran a link on a Polish film producer who had footage, we've all seen that sort of thing, we know it goes on, we're nauseated.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'I get the picture.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">He took a sip or two and returned to the subject. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">'The issue is not the obvious crooks - we know them, they’re just enemy. More dangerous are the hidden ones who pretend not to be. After them come the dupes and they're legion. Your biggest task is to assess us, assess everyone, because it won't be the first and won't be the last time people will come to you as lambs ... and they're good at it, very good. In your case, Chas, we know the honeytrap is an effective weapon.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'More tea?' asked Virginia, in case this went off the rails.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">II</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Chas had rented a car, as they’d discussed and agreed, and was headed for Pensacola, Route 98. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There’d been Hertz and Enterprise to rent from but he'd been advised to try this new outfit with no connection to the town. Two years ago it had arrived and was doing some trade, not a lot - main thing was it accepted cash since the change in the DC administration, and as Chas had a fair amount of the folding stuff, courtesy of their operating fund which in itself was of interest to various parties, it seemed the way to go.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">So there he'd been outside U-Drive, 9 a.m. Saturday morning, he'd had to register his passport with them but aside from that, it was cash on the counter, more for the full tank he'd opted for, insurance by law and away he'd gone. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Last anyone had seen. He was supposed to check in via a second cell phone number every half hour until out of range, then a second cell phone number - friend of Ken's. He had a second phone as well, lent him by Virginia and that was for when he was out of range with the first.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">He'd not been far from the Bridge of Perdition as he'd called it on the last call, around 11:20 a.m. Then ... nothing.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Time for some shopping for Virginia at the Family Dollar Store, but not the local, one twenty miles away. Anything Ken needed?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Virginia saw the lady in question over in one corner, sorting through some of the day’s offerings. It was 2:25 p.m.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Magnolia, hi!'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">She swung round. ‘Ginny, hi! Alone?'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Well, you know. What are you looking for?'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Nothing in particular.' With that, she brought up on her phone a youtube of the Allman Brothers' Eat a Peach song <a href="https://youtu.be/wwyXQn9g40I" target="_blank">Blue Sky</a>. ‘Just love the lyrics to this - I often think of Carolina on a Sunday, strange that. And the other one I can’t get out of my head - Bourbon Street, Louis Prima version. There was a different version but I’ve lost it now.’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I'm always losing things too, I </span><span style="font-family: arial;">lost something this morning as a matter of fact, just before noon.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Oh?'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Yep, documentary on the British invasion. Music. See any good movies lately?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'I like the old movies. Last night it was The Unwelcome Guest, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">from 1913 would you believe.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Never saw it - definitely not that one. I quite like Commandos Strike at Dawn but that’s blue sky thinking. Personally, I think Night of the Hunter is more the style - there's just something more fulfilling in a movie at night, the later the better.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'You know your Gish movies.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Tragic figure really, like some others, never really made it to paradise.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Virginia looked down at the other's screen and this was displayed:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvql_X3V4yFyEWgJtCeIH4fcVM_7p46T1ofdg4IR9-khTChISsS2aiWmOSlbSDgYTCgIsimNATR-SVmRYwLu0Nl4aQZAuz2lvme6UzVNPaA3zRhn3rdT9oHI2tg1EQA13jbdxTcvpKwY/s500/lillian+paradise.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvql_X3V4yFyEWgJtCeIH4fcVM_7p46T1ofdg4IR9-khTChISsS2aiWmOSlbSDgYTCgIsimNATR-SVmRYwLu0Nl4aQZAuz2lvme6UzVNPaA3zRhn3rdT9oHI2tg1EQA13jbdxTcvpKwY/s16000/lillian+paradise.jpg" /></a></div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Oh look at the time,' said Magnolia, 'have to rush. Lovely seeing you again, Ginny.’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'You're a life saver, Magnolia.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'We do our best. Bye dear.'</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Back home, she dumped the bags inside the kitchen and called him. He appeared.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Ken, too hot, let’s go outside, I’ll grab the jug and glasses, you get the masks.’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Shouldn’t we be moving? Things to do, people to find.’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">‘All in good time, let’s just talk for awhile.’ </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">In their alcove, masks in place, he recounted the conversation with Magnolia almost word for word, with the various clues registering as she went on.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'I also saw Jo-Anne's sons today, powerful boys they are now. Saying they like the nightlife. Have to admit, it's not for me anymore, that way of living - you're getting on too.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Does this have to be so cryptic?'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Yep, you know the score. They hang around with Tyler, remember him?'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Should be enough manpower but what happens to them after that? Jo-Anne's a lovely lady, I'm not all that happy her boys will be in the spotlight like that.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'What else can we do? Jo-Anne knows how this thing goes, her boys are useful customers, they're in demand. They'd need to take a short vacation after this, get some blue sky further east.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">III</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As night finally fell, the major obstacle in this rescue was the lie of the land - Bourbon Street had a large number of retirees in new single storey condos, some still empty and it was one of those in which Chas, it seemed, was being held - probably gagged or drugged, there was going to be some noise, plus retirees were notoriously light sleepers.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There was forest behind but they’d have to cross open ground unless ... well, if they could co-opt a copter.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And why was Chas being held in such a place so easily attacked - it sure looked like both sides were flushing the other side out, testing. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The interest in this rescue was not going to be the rescue itself - it was going to be Magnolia’s intel, plus where Chas then led the watchers. There was a lot riding on this tonight.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The crescent moon helped, also the air traffic overhead, each and every day and night now. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">A helicopter pulled away from its formation, three lines dropped, three figures went down, leader soon reported there were no guards whatever, doors were locked, yes, easily opened, there he was, trussed up on a bed in the master bedroom ... soon untrussed, groggy, yes, had been put out ... relatively easy getting him harnessed and lifted, hauled onboard, there they were - the four men and strangely, one woman in the pilot’s seat, not communicating with anyone.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Within eight minutes, he was lowered again in no man’s land, heavily wooded, river nearby, three of the men followed him down their ropes, the fourth retrieved the lines and the copter swung away.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Another eight minutes and the copter landed in a carpark, a man ran forward, two got out, he got in, took off and presumably rejoined his brothers. Too too easy.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">By now, one canoe and two kayaks were near silently, under the overhead air traffic, gliding down Bon Secours, no light, except at a distance. Chas was in the canoe and he was coming out of it. The paddler stopped, delivered him a blow to the skull and he was out like a light again.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The canoes slid down that stream until they reached a tributary, paddled up there and stopped at a dock, the two other paddlers lifted Chas out and they headed for a prefab hut under a holiday house. Once inside, they waited for the man to come out of it, refreshments were disributed.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Said Lyndon, 'What you hit him for, Claire?'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'People in the undergrowth, watching, he was a liability back there.' </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Hard lady and yet one easilystressed at times, thought Lyndon.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Chas was coming out of it, Claire slipped out of the hut and found cover some distance away. In the hut, he was rubbing head and neck, said, 'Ouch, what hit me?'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Overhanging branch I think,' said Lyndon. 'Now, time for your report - plenty to eat on the table.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'They got me at Chagrin Point, I was checking the place out because it was one we were exploring overseas - much incoming there and my brief was to make a nuisance of myself - so I went down there. They advised me to accompany them, I did.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Right, we're going to leave you in here for now, collected later, ok? Plenty of food and drink as I said'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Fine, fine.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Three of them pulled the kayaks into a dock - she'd taken a spare kayak and paddle, the two others had carried the boats through the undergrowth to an adjoining tributary - then hard paddling for an hour on the river - light was just starting to come up, so it was time to head for cover. John had stayed behind to observe.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">It was Lowell's mother's holiday place they were at now, she being in Daphne at this moment. The kayaks were taken out and stored in the hut, they were ready for breakfast which Claire insisted on making if they'd take care of other matters.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Around the table, Lowell this time asked, 'Why did you really clobber him?'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'This,' she said. On the mobile, she brought up the report:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.waaytv.com/content/news/City-of-Orange-Beach-warns-visitors-of-beach-closure-to-prevent-crowding--573929341.html" target="_blank">https://www.waaytv.com/content/news/City-of-Orange-Beach-warns-visitors-of-beach-closure-to-prevent-crowding--573929341.html</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'There's no way Chas was going to get close to that beach unless he charmed his way in. Sorry, I don't buy this.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'What's with the guy then?' asked Lyndon. 'I mean what's he going to do now? Someone picking him up from there?'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Not our business. John just observes and reports.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'This Chas - one of theirs?'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Not sure,' said Claire. Tall, friendly and yet remote, her fair hair was entrancing them as she knew it must - she had to remind them again: 'Strictly business, boys.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Lowell: 'Are we going to check him out then, over in England I mean?'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Being done. Mamma's onto it. So far nothing showing up. A puzzle.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'But why would he have stopped and gone down there? If he had a good reason, why not say so?'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Yes,' said Claire, 'that's been going through my mind too.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">IV</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Mid Monday</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There was a purpose to meeting under the walkway in Lillian, not far from Perdition, instead of where they'd originally planned - Bamahenge near the Marina near Josephine. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7q68uDWZqo54_NI-2cP3YIkkKCwJLE5HMoKJw1c9vsv0v4gdXccxQuVIuYbrwgs2r69xztks-SAVfJw-Fkb-MkHNNmeSsQp5MGXK9eZxCMww1eFEjzco-7jw9rlZcy29IJa34lwbilSo/s430/ken+ratcliffe+lillian.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="323" data-original-width="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7q68uDWZqo54_NI-2cP3YIkkKCwJLE5HMoKJw1c9vsv0v4gdXccxQuVIuYbrwgs2r69xztks-SAVfJw-Fkb-MkHNNmeSsQp5MGXK9eZxCMww1eFEjzco-7jw9rlZcy29IJa34lwbilSo/s16000/ken+ratcliffe+lillian.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>What that told Magnolia was they weren't the only ones with a keen interest in the goings on ... and the goings on were many, so much so that they had to concentrate on one aspect only at any one time. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There'd been beach curfew breaking, attempts at beach parties, there were naughty tourists in condos with their usual lifestyles, there was illegal produce coming through - all that was standard but not so much illegals - that was more a Texan issue, Floridian. It was just too darned obvious to authorities with all the boats, marinas, traffic from New Orleans, there were known elements among the naval personnel tied in with local baddies - all that was a known-known, but it wasn't the main game.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Those things which had always been - the locals would not be too fussed, they might look away, they had their own lives. But there was one issue which locals would never countenance and no doubt at one of their surreptitious meetings, someone must have floated the idea of jamming the entire area overnight, coinciding with a storm which would also keep people hunkered down but nowhere near hurricane level. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">If you've taken out all power, all electrics but not portable electronics, plus there's a storm brewing - you can get away with a hell of a lot.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">As Magnolia now reminded all for the umpteenth time - 'all' being the three others bobbed down one side of this play area, eyes on the walkway - this was all about</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> the trafficking of minors not foreign minors either but kids from this country. They'd compiled a list ranging from people in the chamber of commerce in a town further up towards Mobile, certainly a couple of people in Josephine, others in Foley, there were eight all up they knew were in on it, it was a massive operation, beyond Magnolia's reach and her reach was far.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The thing was, as Magnolia reminded them again, other eyes would be watching what came in from offshore, from the waterways further in from Gulf Shores - official eyes from shadow sections could take care of those - while the real game was those from the country itself going out. There was huge money in this, huge blackmail too.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Why not meet at Bamahenge?' whispered Ken.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Someone tipped them. if you wait, they trip themselves up and make that one little error. They look for main dangers and forget about small dangers who come from nowhere.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Pardon, Magnolia Mamma,' said Jo-Anne, 'but it's like a hydra. OK, we take these photos now, we even expose the villains publicly - someone in a council office covers it up, goes slow, documents are lost. Even if one of two go down after a long legal case - so what? New ones take their place. It's a battle against a tsunami.' </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Yes, Jo-Anne, but it's not them we want, it's the one giving the orders in the first place - and in this case, we know who it is and we can't just expose her - she gives the order and that's us gone. She's prominent in a church in the area, she's widely respected. The only way is to catch her in a place she has no reason to be in, show that to people, they start wondering. Is that someone coming now by the way?'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">It certainly was. Magnolia Mamma continued. 'We observe, right, we note, we make no moves, even if we know the people coming down these steps, we let 'em go right on by. If it's a woman with an up-do though, someone y'all know, and if it's also someone, a man, not very tall, a bit wide, wearing wire glasses, then that confirms it? We discuss it later. Much later.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">At the top of the walkway now appeared a group of people, maybe six - hang on, eight - and yes, there was the 'lady' in question but the issue was who the others were. Two no one seemed to recognise, from out of town most like, one was Ms Up-do's bodyguard and chauffeur, which left two others - seven, not eight - one was the wide man described, yup - Magnolia smiled and nodded, good. The last one was Chas. Predictable.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Deep in discussion, the party stepped down until they'd gone past, seemingly not aware, security so lax they must have felt invulnerable and that had Claire scanning the area 360. Ken had the conversation recorded - they'd really been incredibly lax ... but then again, the four of them were technically lawbreaking by being out here - the restrictions were not going to be lifted for a week.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The news channels mentioned a storm brewing out of season, way too early - Magnolia could not see them leaving this to chance. There was much to do the next couple of days.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">V</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Magnolia had one vulnerability beyond the usual - a very bad experience of a couple of storms over the years and the very idea she'd be out and about during one was maybe her best protection - it was simply unthinkable.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And that was part of what she resented in folk - for ages, her thoughts on why this happened or that happened, her thoughts on what birds did, little critters on the ground too, why some people went bad, what was behind it - she saw these things and was humoured for it. None so blind as those who will not, cannot see. But she was careful, she kept her own peace while observing. She'd had plenty of time to think. And organise. And cultivate. In some quarters, she'd be seen as quite a dangerous lady.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">She was, at this moment, being driven by an emergency worker, Mark, from Elberta, someone who'd always come through before. Mark vaguely knew why they were spying on the airport but could not know the whole story. He trusted her.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The storm was already brewing, she had clammy palms but also a determination to see this night through. He glanced across, all 6'4" of him, at her determined 5'1" and thought she was amazingly plucky. The others had thought she was crazy. She was in the emergency worker outfit.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There was a signal she was now awaiting by pager, not phone. There were too many ifs - if the pager would work, if the operators had been shut down, if this was electric, not electronic, if this, if that. She prayed it would all go off as planned.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The signal was going to mean one thing - the convoy of victims had pulled in at the airport, the device she had between her feet and hands now, like a spike with a round container on top was about to receive its signal from Pensacola.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And what that meant was that some sort of tower had a device itself and would also get that signal - the area's electricity, services, everything was about to be shut down. If it did, she was still short of her river by some distance. Word was it was not an EM pulse, it was more mechanical but - the bicycle in the back of this van was still there, the kayak was on the river waiting. There were so many things which could kick in to stop her getting away if Mark's van stopped. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">She had a real fear of Foley now for perhaps the first time - had she taken care of all the details? She thought back over and over it, suppressing the fear which wanted to rise up inside her throat. Down, down, down.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">She looked again at the spike in her hand, the device attached to it, she'd been shown how to use it, how to lock onto the signal in the tower - the good thing was that physical positioning was not the issue - it would seek out the tower itself - the thing was concealment of the device among the foliage and she knew just the place for it - she knew just the giant potted plant for the job. Who else would think of potted plants as places to conceal devices?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">They were close now, still on the 98, it was time, she put in a prayer. She asked him to stop, there was something she had to do which he was going to thank her for tomorrow, she was going to save his family tonight, he knew of her eccentricity as he saw it, but he also knew she meant what she said, he was well aware of the device she'd been carrying and didn't want to know, anything for his family was ok by him.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Mark set her down and she went straight to the pot, shoved in the spike, opened the little cover, watched the reading change, watched the locking as she'd been taught - enormous relief but it was still not over yet.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Back in the van, he headed for the tributary where someone was supposedly waiting for her. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Now cars were zooming along the road, including police, she needed to be set down this last time and she'd make her own way. 'And Mark, if you’re pushed on any of this, you did pick up a young lady, you can even say you set her down here, but don't say anything other than that. All right? Don't volunteer anything not askd for but also don't be uncooperative. Be neutral, ok?' She hugged him. 'You're a sweety.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">She got out, probably now reasonably safe - hiding out had been one of her specialties as a girl - the invisble girl.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There was something major happening out there now, as if there'd been an emergency.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">That sounded a strange observation as there was a minor emergency, wasn't there? There was this strange storm, wasn't there, but what she was seeing was beyond all reason now, cars everywhere, going every which way. She prayed the spike would not be found, she prayed those kids had been found by now, had been sprung, she hoped that evil lot were in custody. her job was done that way, her job now was to stay alive, uncaptured, to protect her family.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">She dropped down the last six feet to the bottom of the bank, a double canoe slid into view from her right, she looked and nodded, then got in.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Virginia and she paddled home, a twenty-five minute trip. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">They stopped paddling to take a breather, she made a call on the mobile and just said she wanted to see the woman, tomorrow, on that very road she'd walked the baby and the toddler. If the woman did not come, she'd be exposed. The other end clicked off.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Once inside their fourth house, the one they never used, the messages all went out, she prayed that Chas had found his contact - it was going to be five hours before he was out of the country and that man was in for a very rough sail home. He'd send a cryptic message from the other end she now explained to Virginia.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">V</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">It was time. A diminutive lady, quietly determined, with a baby boy in a push chair and the toddler girl walking beside her, meandering down a road under a canopy of foliage. She was s</span><span style="font-family: arial;">till pretty, wearing pink and soft greys, brownish hair glistening in the broken light.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSg33CkL4rR9CvK2qr_g0t-MryEqQPYETlNyHQnthKrgcPVVp32Kd2B6iwC_u3jzT_FHzflM8d0koNLG2KoxY9KTbzF-AdgWTdsII1S1HKmmgcNcQJT3MduBd97SWxJDLLAfrMAHQG8k/s500/magnolia+way.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSg33CkL4rR9CvK2qr_g0t-MryEqQPYETlNyHQnthKrgcPVVp32Kd2B6iwC_u3jzT_FHzflM8d0koNLG2KoxY9KTbzF-AdgWTdsII1S1HKmmgcNcQJT3MduBd97SWxJDLLAfrMAHQG8k/s16000/magnolia+way.jpg" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">They ambled along, not stopping though to smell any flowers this time, which had the toddler wondering what was going on.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Onwards they went, she looked down to smile at something the toddler had said.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Then onwards they continued.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">A woman in quite a state stepped out into the road in front of them and just said: 'Mamma.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Jo-Anne.' Then: 'Just tell me how you could have been party to that.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'What's it to you?'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Oh it's nothing to me, Jo-Anne, I can tell you. It's everything to you though. You do know that, don't you? You've threatened everyone, including your sons. That's unforgivable.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The woman started playing mock violin, stopped by Magnolia: 'Listen, I'm giving you an out, purely on account of Lyndon and Lowell, on account of past times, past neighbours.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Save your breath.' In an instant, she'd whipped out a small pistol, something struck her hand and she dropped the gun, grabbing her wrist with the other hand, excruciating pain, she kept looking left and right, expecting something to happen and when it didn't, she dropped to her knees. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'It's over ... isn't it?'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Not necessarily, I told you that. It's over for three mayors, two governors and for all the others.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Why though? Why did you have it in for Up-do especially?'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'She lied to me. To my face.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Just that? Not for those children?'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'For all of it, but that lie just tipped it over the edge, the arrogance.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'What now?'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'You go your way, we go ours.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The woman was nonplussed, she had no idea which way to react ... how ... what ...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">She turned on her heel, wrist still in her other hand, and went back to the bushes to await further instructions from someone. Anyone. Magnolia and entourage continued their little jaunt in the morning cool.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">At the corner she was joined by Ken. ‘Dangerous using a directed microwave.’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You know about it then.’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Pretty obvious. Mark worked on that unit, they’ve been after low range for ages, seeks fast moving solid objects in its direction, boils the hand briefly too. Weapons are getting nasty now - not sure if non-lethal is much better than conventional.’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">‘They disable, they don’t kill.’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">‘In your hands maybe.’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">‘They’re the only hands to have em.’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">‘All right, you asked to see me.’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Keep walking, Ken, many eyes, many devices still on. Spike’s still in the pot? Good. No one on their side wants to be seen, no one on ours. Going to be tricky retrieving that. Needs to be switched off coz I can't see those muvvers in Pensacola doing it.’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">‘That’s if anyone’s seen it.’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Oh come on, it wasn't that well hidden, not if they've tumbled to how it works, which they must have done. We're either mutually watching or else -’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Or else they’ve changed the pulse in the tower and the spike doesn't matter any more. Something more like Vigilant. Endless battle. Can you speak of Chas?’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yep but not here. We'll meet as arranged.’ The natives were getting restless. ‘Ken, I’ll have to go. He was ok, Chas, he had to play it that way, it gave him quite a few names. We knew most of it, now they do in England too, those on the ‘good’ side. It might help. Say hello to Ginny for me.' She was chuckling. 'Ciao.’</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And they were gone. He watched for some moments, then went back to the car.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">VI</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">it was a Wednesday, they'd all converged from different directions on the prefab below the deck, some by boat, some by car, then on foot, they had only fifteen minutes to be on the safe side, Claire had prepared the meal, this was a question answering session.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'When are we going to have some sort of normality again?' was the first question by Virginia, baby on her lap, gazing at his mama. 'Why did we even need to run this thing about Dad and I in that place?'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'For Chas, for eyes and ears watching.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Yes but why that ridiculous wall with the wiring? Why all the cloak and dagger?'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Effect. keep them guessing.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'But Dad gave it away with all that being in love with Magnolia stuff.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'I quite enjoyed it,' smiled 'Magnolia'. 'After a while, it was exciting, quite fun.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Quite? You're sounding English.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'I've noticed,' grimaced her husband.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'So? It was fun. Now ask your questions coz we're not out of this yet by any means.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'All right, Mom,' asked Claire. 'What's with this pulse thing? Why did it shut down power but not electronics, airwaves, services? How did your spike change that?'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'It didn't. The power shutdown wasn't us, it could never be us - it was them, the ones we're fighting. All my device did was stop the EM pulse. And even I don't know who our benefactor was, but who's complaining?'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'But,' said Ken, 'you're still not off the hook - what stopped the flight out?'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Mark, Tyler, a couple of officers. There was nothing super clever there, just apprehension of the pilots, the crew, the plane was just sitting there and we knew the good people, the bad and the not-known among the emergency crews, among the police.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'So you were a decoy. My wife in danger.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Ken, it's our mission, isn't it? Part of it. Gives me a break, the girls are grown up, gives them a break, you still have me home at night, it protected our grandchildren and those poor souls in their clutches, plus we're funded - I couldn't tell you all of it because you still have contact with work and there are two people there -'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'Yes, OK, no need to name them. For how much longer?'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Said Claire, half exasperated: 'Who knows? Things really have changed, Dad, it's going to take a lot to break this horror up. We have to keep regrouping, reorganising, staying one step ahead.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">'I knew that. Just asking for the record. We have to go. Time's up.'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">...........</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">6352</span></div><div class="yj6qo" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></div><div class="adL" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></div><div class="hi" style="background-color: #f2f2f2; background: rgb(242, 242, 242); border-bottom-left-radius: 1px; border-bottom-right-radius: 1px; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: auto;"></div>James Highamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14525082702330365464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2699251666835350287.post-52538149944422649382009-05-25T13:32:00.005+00:002022-06-25T13:32:49.063+00:00The Problem with Linfield<span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://www.globalartichoke.co.uk/uploaded/images/ShiwaMain1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339754071904190706" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_RdfHVPXbRmCn5XqLA8B_RKyQdpS35ZC3TaW9M33jJXN0-Vwl3IJ3pmvZpu3Wq0tmDTQRqmdo1Ej6ndnKiGn_wYnLk8_P6dI6rWKa4pcfq7ZkrC2s63HD4VZYrwGD-X9ixfFu0UqwKw/s400/ShiwaMain1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 385px;" /></a><br />
The stately home is in fact <a href="http://www.zambiatourism.com/destinations/historic/shiwa-ngandu">Shiwa Ngandu, in Zambia</a>. Gives a rough idea of the layout, gallery will be added in sidebar later.<br />
<br /></span><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Cast</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a name='more'></a></span><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 0px 24px 1.25em; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sir Richard Maven, longtime owner of Linfield</span></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Lady Marjorie Maven, wife and co-owner</span></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Arthur Maven, their elder son</span></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Johnathan Maven, their younger son</span></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Pete Daveson, longtime house staff</span></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sally Daveson, his wife</span></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Pippa Marrin, assistant to Lady Maven</span></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Derek Hatton, investor, venture capital</span></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Paul Eastbourne, investor, venture capital</span></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial;">James Ingram, property developer</span></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Terry Reynolds, landscaper and artist</span></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Linda West, also landscaper and artist</span></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Mrs. Thompson, antiques</span></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rhonda Lewis, antiques</span></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Amanda Greaves, opera singer</span></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Marie, shadowy operator</span></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Marit, much higher than she made out</span></li></ul><div><span style="color: #1e1e1e; font-family: arial;">I</span></div><div><span style="color: #1e1e1e; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Sorry, Rachel,’ no can do this weekend’ apologised Derek Hatton. ‘Heading down to the west country, Linfield – you know it?’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-0" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘That monstrosity?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Idea is that Hatton money and that of a few others will transform it into something quite special. Can’t hurt to have a look anyway. Fancy a spin down that way?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’ve not been invited and besides, I’ve got deliveries all weekend. Would they be interested in my wares?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’ll ask.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Driving in between the pillars, there’s nothing which grabs the visitor to Linfield at first, just a gravelled road which could become boggy after a prolonged spell of rain, it goes on for maybe a quarter of a mile. The carpark is at the end, on the right, which is just as well, as the land then dips alarmingly further right and can only be tackled on foot.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The unfortunate thing about Linfield is that, being on top of a flattened crest which dips away on all sides after the first lower terrace called Abercrombie, after the car park, is that there’s no presence to it, no stately home right there before your eyes. There’s a damn good view of the far off Cheatham Hills, the mist in the valley can be quite nice, it’s all quite green but it’s a landscaper’s nightmare.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">However, it’s not an architect’s nightmare – at least it would not have been had architects been allowed near the place. Historically, it had always been a hotchpotch, an eyesore.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Where it picked up was that in the valley, before the land climbed up to another ridge not their property, it made for a nice lake, with an elongated island roughly in the middle. Throw in a couple of follies here and there, plus a boathouse, and it wasn’t half bad.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-1" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="linfield-layout" class="alignnone wp-image-122" data-attachment-id="122" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="linfield-layout" data-large-file="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/linfield-layout1.jpg?w=708" data-medium-file="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/linfield-layout1.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/linfield-layout1.jpg" data-orig-size="708,509" data-permalink="https://jameshigham.wordpress.com/2016/07/30/the-problem-with-linfield/linfield-layout/" height="328" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 456px) 100vw, 456px" src="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/linfield-layout1.jpg" srcset="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/linfield-layout1.jpg?w=456&h=328 456w, https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/linfield-layout1.jpg?w=150&h=108 150w, https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/linfield-layout1.jpg?w=300&h=216 300w, https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/linfield-layout1.jpg 708w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="456" /></span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The house itself was in the shape of an H, with the two arms of the H laid along the contours of the hill; the high terrace was behind the house, meaning the upper, side, nearest the carpark and it was large, that high terrace – half an acre all up, with the rose garden its crowning glory at the west end.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The path then led down the left, looking from above, first reaching a flat area from where you stepped down to Abercrombie Terrace, abutting the house on the lower side.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Abercrombie was General James Abercrombie, dishonoured in being soundly defeated by the French at the Battle of Carillon, in 1758. The man was apparently a non-comp and his force of superior numbers was soundly defeated, with Wikipedia today recording this:</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“American historian Lawrence Henry Gipson wrote of Abercrombie’s campaign that “no military campaign was ever launched on American soil that involved a greater number of errors of judgment on the part of those in positions of responsibility.”</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-2" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Whoever had named this terrace had had a macabre sense of humour, as the garden at the western end was also called Montcalm.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There were further terraces stepped down from there to the lake but each successive terrace was set a bit further west from the one above, such that the whole curved around the convex contour of the hill, though not as steeply as the house on the crest. It was messy topography they’d built over.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Even up on the crest, the two arms of the H were at different heights, connected by what you could call a very long, shallow stepped staircase, and this part of the whole complex was the grandest. Hatton took all this in, stepping out now onto Abercrombie Terrace from the southern foyer, a lady came out and greeted him, leading him to the white painted wrought iron table and chairs on the lawn.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He knew her from London, she’d worked for Lady Maven, and the poor girl – well, not so much a girl anymore but one doesn’t like to draw attention to that – was named Pippa. Handsome woman he thought.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Richard, or ‘Dick’ Maven to those he allowed to be familiar, now came out to greet him, they took tea and all was chummy, plus it was one of those warmish winter days. After the small talk, they got down to the property.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘The thing which distinguishes Linfield from other houses within fifty miles, Derek, is the mania for light which possessed the third Lord Bletchley. He basically had this entire south or Abercrombie wing, as it was earlier, torn out and replaced with that conservatory, plus the belvedere above it on the second floor. The north wing though is still as it was in bygone days.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-3" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘And what of the high terrace behind that, with the choo choo, the children’s climbing frames and slides? You don’t mind the great public trampling over the rose garden?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Afraid we’ve given over the north side to the clink of coin – our agent, Helen, runs it quite efficiently.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘And your wife?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘She hasn’t quite come to terms with it to the same extent. It was one thing having the annual fair in the 50s and 60s, community obligations and all that but the thought now that half the house is not ours any more and the old half too … well. Still, quite a view from our side here, isn’t it, especially early morning, catches the rising sun before it disappears behind the Cheatham Hills late afternoon.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘How far down do you allow the public? The demarcation line?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Well, there’s really just the one path, the steps and so they can visit the lake once in the morning, once in the afternoon, for three hours each, it’s ours apart from that. They don’t come near the south wing, nor Abercrombie.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Tell me about this get-together tomorrow – it’s been a bit hush-hush so far.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We’ve a certain amount riding on the outcome tomorrow to be frank, time to play the family trump card from the vault below the refectory as a matter of fact,’ he added in conspiratorial tones. ‘You’ll have to wait I’m afraid.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘All very mysterious.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-4" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘There’ve been rumblings from down there recently so they may as well be exploited.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Intriguing.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Let’s wander down to the boathouse when you’re ready and meet Marjorie and the boys. No hurry.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The gravel path was damp underfoot, the crazy-paving steps after that slippery, it had rained mid-morning but had now cleared up to the point the sun was out and warming the general area. Hatton took in the old boy on the way down the steps – his height was his redeeming feature, the rest of him now running to seed but the jaunty manner and de rigeur garb, right down to the knee breeches, were very Maven indeed. Theatrically so. Theatrical described the whole damned thing he thought to himself.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘That a Henry Moore over there?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘The middle terrace? An attempt at a replica by a local sculptor I’m afraid,’ said his host, ‘not much left of the old place you could call the genuine article any more. Hard times we live in.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">At the boathouse, Hatton observed two men [the sons?] messing about on the lake in punts and now Marjorie approached in tweeds, white blouse and sensible shoes, all very much in keeping with her hairstyle. Marvellously well preserved, Marjorie Maven, he knew her from her London days.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She extended a scrawny hand. ‘Derek, so good of you to come to see us. We’re planning a little surprise tomorrow, you know.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-5" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Derek knows this, Marjorie. Why don’t you call the boys over and we’ll go up for tea.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Country life suits you, Lady Mavers. Don’t you miss the cut and thrust of Sackville Street?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Of course not. If I had to read one more manuscript I’d go blind. Cheryl runs that now, Pippa’s here with us, as you know.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The ‘boys’ were not so much boys. Arthur was fifty if he was a day, also immaculately attired as the country squire, a portly man with a reddened nose but Johnathan, a few years younger, let the side down a bit. Also tending to seed, he was the modern man though in his polo tee, dark navy denims but cheap Oxfords.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There was little doubt though about the aquiline noses and the elongated, straight sided faces of the Mavens and after they’d made their way up to the dining room, which was the old anteroom converted, the guided tour was in full swing</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hatton reflected on the mish-mash of styles at Linfield. The belvedere, for example, sported two chintz settees, a well preserved settle, replete with arrow box beneath, a glass topped table with touches of 50s art deco, a Lloyd Loom Armchair, an Edwardian Double Seat and a marble-topped sideboard almost identical to the one in the other room.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They climbed the grand shallow staircase to the north wing. It sported the great hall, the aviary and Linfield’s Folly – a most garish room done out to resemble a grotto. The spiral staircase then took visitors to the original bedrooms upstairs and the marble bathroom. A very strange place. Derek wanted to know who’d thought that an 18th century chiffonier would go well with a 1920s replica commode and nobody would notice. This seems to have been the motif throughout the history of Linfield.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-6" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They ended back at the dining room in the south wing.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A tallish woman of maybe forty appeared from nowhere, mop of hair and a pleasant face but with a trace of nervousness – she’d serve tea. Hatton wondered why he was wondering so much. He’d been invited down for a meeting to finance some new project and all he’d been doing was wandering and wondering. Patience, patience.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">An even taller man of maybe forty-five now came through and helped the woman – chance to confirm a hunch. ‘Married couple?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘They are. Peter, Sally, join us for a few moments, would you.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The two dutifully came over, hands folded before them and Mavers did the introductions. ‘Derek, this is Peter Daveson, with an ‘e’ don’t forget, jack of all trades and his lovely wife Sally. Mr. Hatton is currently scouring the great country houses for their commercial potential and has kindly accepted the invitation to look us over.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Davesons nodded, she made the slightest of curtseys and they both returned to setting the dishes out on the sideboard.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You’ll see a lot of Peter and Sally. They’re the only staff we’ve retained for guests so they’re run off their feet. If this venture gets up and running, we’ll add to the staff as and when. Let’s eat and then you might like to see the commercial set up on the north side.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After they were done, they went up the stairs once more, out onto the high terrace. Derek had seen the last coachload depart just after three, the punters were obviously attracted but to have installed scarlet and yellow tubular climbing frames on that high lawn, plus plastic representations of Disney characters and a commando ropes course was … well that would be discussed, hotly he suspected, on tomorrow.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-7" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Night fell, dinner was eaten in the dining room, the talk had petered out and it was lampshade time. His four poster was more than comfortable, the ensuite was modern and the plumbing adequate.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sleep overtook him.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It was the sound from below his floor, a dull but repetitive sound, which woke him about 4 a.m. That would not have been from the conservatory but the room immediately to the west of it. The central heating maybe?</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Now came the quite distinct clink of chain on floorboard and lo, at the foot of his bed had materialized the most pathetic of creatures, a gothic-attired old woman, hands manacled and presumably feet also; she gave out the most deliciously low, spooky moan and stared straight through him.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He wasn’t going to miss this for the world, he jumped out of bed and saw that her eyes had followed him. Striding up to the apparition, he passed his arm straight through her, she shrieked, spun away a couple of yards towards the wardrobe and dematerialized. He stood, staring, went back to the bed and sat down heavily.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">However Maven had managed that, Derek had to concede he’d done it well, it would have knocked the stuffing out of the most ardent of sceptics. He’d ask his host for the explanation on the morrow.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Richard Maven did not greet the news with incredulity at breakfast, nor with conspiratorial silence, he seemed genuinely thoughtful, as if this part of the big secret had been revealed ahead of its time and shouldn’t have.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-8" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The other guests arrived throughout the morning – Mrs. Thompson of Gillingham Antiques and Furniture, Rhonda Lewis of Appleby and Lewis, architects, James Ingram of nowhere in particular as far as Derek could see, then someone he did know – Paul Eastbourne, another of an entrepreneurial bent … and then a car arrived with two passengers they saw coming through – she of the true gothic Morticia Addams variety and he of the Uncle Fester.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Eventually, these latter two were introduced as Linda West and Terry Reynolds of Essex. Uncle Fester sported three earrings in one ear and a bone through the nose, well actually a ring. Derek wanted to ask if she had a leash for him but thought better of it. It appears they were landscape gardeners.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This time, lunch was taken in the Boiserie on the north side, an impressive room indeed. No expense appeared to have been spared, the long table and chairs were in keeping and the drapes went with the whole. They’d had decorators in for this, of this Derek was in no doubt. Even lunch had been cranked up a notch and the married staff had been supplemented by what was most likely a catering firm.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After a delightful hour of small talk, the reasonable Wolf Blass having been drained to the last drop, they all went out onto that hideous high terrace and Fester nodded.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This was going to take some doing, first to go would be the red and yellow plastic children’s climbing frames. The opera house-come-theatre would fit into the space across the path, the cascading terraces would remain stunning in their multi-tiered effect. Rhonda, Morticia, Fester and Maven were deep in conference for some considerable time, Marjorie now took the rest of them down to the lake.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-9" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When they eventually reconvened on Abercrombie – they had to meet here as the gates would be opened to the public at 2 p.m. – there was a more elevated spirit of expectation.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Derek asked Reynolds, ‘So, where are you based, Terry?’ and the reply was extraordinary: ‘Why do you want to know?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Because I asked you civilly, you arsehole.’ Zero expression on Hatton’s face but it had been Fester’s tone, not the reply which had triggered him.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Marjorie immediately stepped in, flustered. ‘Terry and Linda move about a lot, up and down the country. Up to your necks in work, aren’t you, Terry?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He nodded moodily but Derek decided to press this point. ‘No, I mean, where’s your home base?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Fester was now nonplussed how to respond. ‘I think Marjorie’s just told you.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hatton now asked, ‘Do you know why I’m here?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The other shrugged, also deeply annoying and Marjorie saw a situation developing. She anxiously looked out for her husband, who came over quickly.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Derek addressed him. ‘I find this man,’ he indicated with his head, ‘unnecessarily mysterious over quite basic details and offensive in manner. Under these circumstances, I can’t see how I could invest in this project. Good day to you, Sir Richard, Lady Maven and thank you for the hospitality.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-10" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">With that, he turned and made for his room to get his things, he’d not brought all that much inside, Maven immediately followed him, then called, ‘Derek, please wait one moment.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hatton of course did, Maven caught up, puffing, ‘Allow me ten minutes, that’s all I ask, let’s go to your room and sit there.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hatton grunted but obviously acquiesced, presented with manners once more.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It was he who opened. ‘Too many mysteries, Sir Richard. A ghost last night unsatisfactorily explained this morning, this man being mysterious and also downright rude, plus anomalies in the whole set-up.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Maven wasn’t exactly wringing his hands but he wasn’t far off it, his manner deeply apologetic. ‘I do apologize profusely for Terry. He’s highly eccentric but he’s brilliant too. Frankly, he can do the landscaping for a fraction of the cost of …’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Reputable firms?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘No, not a bit of it. They have no central office, they work from home and via mobile. I can show you the projects they’ve completed and there’ve been no complaints, quite the opposite. Each owner can be contacted and you can hear it with your own ears. They know the game backwards, he and Linda.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘He has an appalling manner.’ What Derek did not ask was how Sir Richard knew Reynolds ‘knew the game backwards’ and on whose authority he’d formed this opinion.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘He can be difficult, brusque in fact but he gets the job done and on time. That should be a plus for whomever is investing in the project.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-11" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You can be sure I’ll be checking on this man and his partner to the nth degree, Sir Richard, before even one penny is transferred.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Of course you will. This has been a most unfortunate set of misunderstandings which we’ll straighten out. You haven’t allowed me to outline the full plan yet, surely you wish to at least know that. Then you’ll sup with us and if you’re still not satisfied, you’ll go back tomorrow morning. Will you stay your hand that long?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The man was near desperate now and Derek asked himself why his particular money was required. Surely a hard-headed businessman would have just said, ‘Sorry you feel that way,’ let him go and brought another source of finance in.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Maven continued, ‘The others are assembling in the Blue Room if you’d care to join us and the plan will be put to all.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Blue Room was the second fine piece of decoration seen today, the friezes in particular having been delicately inlaid with a number of hues from cobalt to sky. Wainscoting had been used but that could be excused due to the use to which it was put; it was essentially a meeting room.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They got straight down to it and James Ingram introduced himself. ‘My function is that of syndicate coordinator or project manager, if you like. Sir Richard has received you all but his focus is primarily Linfield. My focus is the coordination of various projects going on concurrently. </span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You’ll now be given ways I can be contacted at any hour on any day,’ he waited till Johnathan had distributed the cards, ‘and I bear responsibility for the task being completed. In other words, I’m handing out business cards. Rhonda, Terry and Linda have mocked up a rough of the proposed outline and I think you might see the reason we’re quite excited about it. Take a look please.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-12" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They perused the plan on the A0 paper and it didn’t look half bad. From the carpark, the guests would move down past the opera house/theatre which would occupy that area on the left and would be met on Abercrombie in a new vestibule, from where they’d move to a foyer and thence to their quarters. There’d be little need to rebuild as the existing walls could be converted to their new purpose.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Paul Eastbourne asked where the antiques came into it and what the bait was to lure people from London and the coast.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘It’s a multi-pronged thing,’ explained Ingram. ‘They can come for the weekend or for a few days and there’ll be boating and a small wildlife park at hand during the day. Each night there’ll be some form of entertainment of quality at no charge to guests and at a reasonable rate for visitors. Part of the attraction for guests will be a tour of the mysteries of the house. Lady Maven has done extensive research into the history of the property and one of the delights she uncovered, you’re about to see. Would you all look towards the arched entrance.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The covers were drawn, the lights were doused, it was dark enough for the thing to happen. There was a scraping of chains on the floor and then appeared the most pathetic of creatures, a gothic-attired old woman, hands manacled and presumably feet also; she gave out the most deliciously low, spooky moan, everyone was taken aback except for Derek who now strode over to her and put his hand out, straight through the body. Puzzled, he returned to his place, just as the vision dematerialized.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Ingram was delighted with the effect. ‘Now allow me to introduce you to the designer – Pete Daveson. He and his wife have been serving you with refreshments but Pete has this other string to his bow – he can design programmes such as this. Let me get in before you ask – yes, it will be made clear that this is merely a representation of a legend, not the legend itself, the idea being that people will attend, knowing there’s no real danger but enjoying the fright nonetheless. The lure is for the type of people who enjoy murder mystery weekends.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-13" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Paul spoke. ‘It’s good but doesn’t it mix the clientele somewhat? The people coming up for the opera are hardly likely to be the same people interested in a mock poltergeist.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We cater for families, of course. If we can offer something for the whole family, some family members might take up this offer and some might concentrate on the house and grounds. Naturally, a guided tour is provided at 10:00, 1:30 and 3:00. We’ve found it an effective strategy at our other three houses so far.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Who’s we?’ asked Derek.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Fern Tours, of which I’m the principal. Here is our literature from other projects.’ Johnathan distributed these.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘May I ask,’ said Derek, ‘whether the homeless Fester here and his charmless partner landscaped any of your other projects?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Reynolds’ eyes narrowed but Ingram replied, with equanimity, ‘See for yourself, Mr. Hatton.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He could see for himself but all in that room knew that the bad blood between those two and presumably, by extension, among those three could present a threat to the project. It was Maven who took up the torch. ‘Terry regrets the misunderstanding, Derek and we’d all like to get back to the task in hand, a project which excites both Marjorie and myself and one which we’re hopeful you’ll also find rewarding.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’d like to hear that from Uncle Fester’s lips.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Reynolds had immense difficulty not springing up and going for Derek Hatton, which had been what Hatton had wished to find out anyway – just how far the man would eat humble pie and therefore, how integral he was to the project.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-14" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I regret any misunderstanding … Mr. Hatton,’ was all Derek was going to get from that quarter, a puzzling climb down after the outrageous Addams Family cracks. It was all becoming more interesting.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Paul Eastbourne had been watching the whole thing and knew Derek Hatton to be one of the more protocol-minded people he’d met- this was way out of character for him. He put it to one side for now and asked instead, ‘How do the antiques come into it?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">James Ingram explained, ‘This will be a sideline. The conservatory will become a garden centre for exotic blooms and next door, the old refectory, will be for the selling of antique pieces also used throughout the house. This will be Mrs. Thompson’s side of the venture.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">That’s just about the whole project in a nutshell. It will be costed on the estimates of the various parties and put to you two gentlemen by next Thursday afternoon at the place of business you leave the contact details for tomorrow. Will that be satisfactory for now?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Both men nodded and appreciated the businesslike approach of Ingram. Both would have the man checked out, of course. Maven breathed a sigh of relief and invited them to spend some time by themselves on the south side, if they would and then supper would be served at 7 p.m. A gong would summon them.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Paul and Derek went for a stroll towards the boathouse, then drifting onto the middle terrace, each waited for the other to begin. Finally, Paul said, ‘You really went for Reynolds, Derek.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We need to check him out.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I see him as largely innocent, that one. An A1 prat maybe but Ingram’s the one who worries me, he and Daveson.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-15" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Brains of the outfit, you think?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘It’s a nice plan all right and would definitely make money but there’ve been one or two rumblings about the other houses, nothing that’s come to anything as yet but it’s just a bit too slick for mine, a bit too fawning. The antiques for a start, coming up from London – I’d like to explore that one.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I have a ladyfriend who’d like to contribute to that side of it. What’s your main beef, Paul?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I know of the other houses. They’re turning over a substantial amount but not nearly enough to pay for the whole kaboodle. Ask to examine the accounts and you’ll see what I mean.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Someone besides us is injecting extra funds or else making money some other way?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Perhaps. Let’s work together on this one. Here’s my card.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘And mine, Paul. Also, something else has been puzzling me – are Sir Richard and Lady Maven something direct from antiquity or is their dress and manner something which vaguely reminds me of Bertram’s Hotel?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Ah yes, you saw that too. A little too country squire. And the others are bizarre as well. Derek, don’t look up but we’re being watched from the window. Walk over to the fake Moore.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Eastbourne positioned himself in such a way that he was not looking at the house directly but could observe all the same. ‘Our watcher is still watching. Who do you think it is?’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-16" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Fester?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘No, Morticia … oh … and now Ingram. What are they so interested in? Let’s examine the Moore and see if that piques their curiosity.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They made as if to scrutinize the work closely and then went to the far side of the piece from the house. ‘Derek, this really is a Henry Moore. It’s genuine, I happen to know it should currently be residing in the garden of a villa in Le Touquet.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Fancy a bit of boating before dusk?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Why not?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They spoke of this and that and Derek outlined his whole experience from their first approach to the night time apparition.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Paul was puzzled. ‘Too many errors, Derek. Far too many. Either they’re incredibly incompetent or they want you suspicious. Don’t take this the wrong way but perhaps we should be analysing you to see the reason you were chosen, I know of your recent loss in Bulgaria. You’d assume they would too. I seriously hope you’re not being set up here for a fall.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sir Richard was waiting for them lakeside.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">II</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The plans had been approved, the money had been forthcoming from both, Derek having had to interest a number of other parties in the project, the landscaping and building had got underway.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">III</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-17" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Three months later, as winter approached, the two men made their eighth visit to Linfield, their cars were met at the park and they were escorted past the superb playhouse, down the steps and into reception. There was the ever-present Pippa, a good sort and perfect for this role.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Paul.’ He nodded. ‘Derek,’ she added with the slightest hint of irony which made Paul quickly scrutinise her.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Derek had asked for his old room and Paul was to have his as well, adjacent to Derek’s, at the end of the short hallway. Both had been invited for dinner in the Boiserie at 8 p.m. sharp.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The cuisine had lifted to a level which would cater for quite fastidious tastes from the Metrop.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Over port, Sir Richard spoke. ‘I trust you’ve settled in and will join us after supper for a short recital by Amanda Greaves, violinist, who’s agreed to stop by on her current tour to take in our playhouse. It’s a one-off this evening and we’re very lucky to have secured her. Most patrons will stay overnight … so you won’t be alone.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It was their first real look at the finished playhouse and they had to admit it would hold its own, even by comparison to some metropolitan rivals. This side of the business was only going to keep on keeping on, even if the rest took a downturn. It was clear Pippa had had a huge input in its design and décor, everyone was impressed.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They took their places.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-18" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Waiting for Ms Greaves to begin, even in the dimmed light, Paul noticed two or three people up from the big smoke and murmured close to Derek’s ear not to make too big an issue of it but to look over when he got a chance.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The lights dimmed the rest of the way and Amanda Greaves began with ‘Die ihr des unermesslichen Weltalls Schöpfer ehrt’, which set the tone for the rest of the evening. Derek supposed the chamber orchestra would be accommodated in the performers’ suites above and behind the main hall.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">One person they did both notice was a diminutive figure from the smoke, into music but not of this kind, one of the strings to her bow being promotions of artists who were a bit left field for most. It was mentioned at some parties that this lady, Marie, had a hand in other activities as well, though no one came clean and named them directly.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Around 3 a.m., the aforementioned Marie, on padded feet, found her way to the converted gunroom and went through the process of identifying and disconnecting the alarm, an interactive Livermore system but came up against the secondary password for the green room and conservatory. She pressed her pager and waited for the power disconnect.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It came but the system went onto auxilliary as she’d expected. Now she was on safe ground as she’d been the one to install the Livermore and had to hope the code had not been changed. If it had, all hell would break loose and she’d have to get out quickly. The room was close to the east end so a rapid hike through the undergrowth would bring her out onto the gravel road.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-19" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She took a deep breath, ran the code and the power disconnected a second time, which gave her the few minutes necessary, as the main door to the west of the house was now jammed. The only way she could be circumvented would be for them to come round and through the conservatory or via Abercrombie but that would take a minimum of six or seven minutes.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There was time and she went straight through to the green room, which gave out onto the conservatory. Her pencil torch showed the room was currently sporting an 18th century skeleton table, an antique Bavarian marriage chest, a Queen Anne chair, an Edwardian Pembroke table, an Edwardian double seat, a 20th century French settee and a George III side table. Mrs. Thompson had been hard at work.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She took a quick look at the workshop, got the general idea, went back to the double chair and yes, the glue had still not set on the rear right leg, which she now tore off, slipped over her shoulder into her Red Indian style quiver and now came the tricky bit.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rapidly scanning the rows of flora by the three-quarter moon through the window, she judged that the vault was accessible from the north end, most likely under that movable earthen pot over there.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It was, she almost leapt down the ladder, shone the pencil torch around, then came a stroke of luck – there were traces of some spillage on the bench which had been cleared up but there was a bin below.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She took off the quiver, the bin contents were poured in after the chair leg, that was enough for now, the next danger was upon her – up the ladder – she stepped out of the hatch, made for the outer door and safety, the tension ceased.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Someone tried Derek Hatton’s door about the same time, he sat crouched by the far wall, Pete Daveson and wife stood scanning the room – it was now 3:32 a.m., they didn’t see him, concluded he was out roaming and went out silently.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">IV</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Eastbourne and Hatton met at the Hare and Hounds, Wimbledon, some days later, ordered food and bought ales.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘A new variation of MDMA, Derek. Phials in the furniture. Thompson has a clear run on the antiques side, the vault is a lab. Whoever’s running the show and I still pin it on Daveson, they didn’t count on Marie. It’ll have been scoured by now and the duff furniture removed.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You got Marie up there?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Set a thief …’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Hell of a risk.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I wanted to know what the game was. Now the bad news – it was an amateur operation, someone branching out. Linfield’s a good cover.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Derek took a sip and looked across. ‘And?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘There’s a complication. Marie said there was an ingredient cut in which didn’t come from these shores as far as she knew – she’d seen it in Germany though. That changes the game.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Sorry to be obtuse.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Marie nicked some of their product, didn’t she. If it’s a continental player – do you know how naughty people are over there, Derek?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Not really.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You don’t branch out on your own. You either get found or there is another way. Be bold, set up a meeting with them.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Who with?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Whoever Marie finds out it is.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘For what?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘To be cut in, for a modest amount. We’d have to hire some boys with shooters.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Hang on, what have I to do with it?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Word was you and I were in this together. Doesn’t matter if it’s not so, that’s the word in certain quarters. We either beg for mercy or play it bold. Cruises was one of your lines. Can you get a boat for a night?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘The Osprey?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘It would do.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘If we’re dealing with Europe, a serious crowd, then we’re out of our league.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Perhaps. We could broker a new line that might interest them.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘What new line?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Cruises. Also gets Plod off our backs. The cruise idea dovetails nicely with the rest of their set up.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We’ll reconvene at the Tavern in Kilburn a week today. All right?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The first meeting of interested parties was this night on the Osprey, they’d been ferried to the side and had come up ladders.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The ‘guests’ had checked in their weapons, boat security was ever present, the caterers had served the fish and the conversation began.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Present were Paul and Derek, Fester, plus one with whom Fester seemed particularly miffed – a dark-haired lady called Marit, plus Johnathan Maven.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘The question,’ opened Paul, ‘is whether we want to run the cruises legit or do a little extra. We have our hands on three boats for now and as you’ve already discovered, those boys aren’t playing ball with you. It’s through us or nowhere. I think you’d understand the return from these weekends and so our ask of 12% on top of the running costs would seem not unreasonable, would you say?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘The electronics would be handled by us?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Catering?’ asked Marit.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Your call, lady. We’re not in that game. These were brought in tonight.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There were nods around the table. Fester spoke. ‘For reasons I think are fairly obvious, we stand to risk most, so on top of distribution costs, we’d like 20%. If a cabin could be made over to us, we’d drop that to 15%.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Paul spoke. ‘No cabin in the first year of operation.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Fester asked in return, ‘Why only the 12%?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We’d like a longer shelf life. Our backers have stipulated 12% so that’s non-negotiable.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Fine, fine.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We’re going for a stroll for twenty minutes. You can speak freely during that time. Your people can check for any devices as well.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There was earnest discussion while Paul and Derek took a stroll on the rear deck.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">At the end of the stipulated time they returned and sat down.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘So,’ said Derek, ‘how’s it to be?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We need to to speak with our people,’ answered Fester.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Meaning you’re not the principal. Now listen, when we reconvene in one week, we want the principals here. That means, Terry, the supplier for South-West, not your own girl and Johnathan – whoever is the decision maker at your end. Everyone plays by the book and all will be well.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Five minutes after the last of the guests had been ferried ashore, the two of them were in the communications room, listening to the conversation.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘None of them knew of the lovely Marit except Terry who was cut up about her. Fester plans to double-cross us, did you read it that way, Derek?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Perhaps we should have gone for 18-20%?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘No, my source says that’s the right price. It suggests we don’t need the cash.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Do you think Marit was there to keep Fester honest?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’m sure of it, or else to prevent him branching out.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Who’s she reporting to?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Maybe she’s not reporting to anyone.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We had a real mix onboard tonight. Rank amateurs like Fester who are no doubt expendable, through to the demure Marit who might even be running Europe for all we know.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘This was what they projected. You can’t tell, without some sort of break, who’s lying in which bed. Can we use the Emma Hamilton for the next one?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Can’t see why not.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Derek had sent his PA Amy to lunch and was just tucking into the turkey and cranberry sandwiches when the buzzer went in reception.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Typical. Through the screen he saw it was Marit, alone.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Within a minute she was seated in his office and he was making the coffee. ‘You saw her go out then?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes. How long do we have?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘About twenty-five minutes.’ He served the coffee and the bits and pieces on a plate. ‘Speak, Marit.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Are you certain all your friends are friends?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He laughed. ‘That’s precisely what we were expecting – the divide and rule.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She didn’t answer but reached inside her satchel and extracted a large envelope which she laid in front of him. He took out the notes, flicked through them and nearly concealed his shock but not quite. ‘That … er … puts a different slant on it.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Thought it might. You do see they’re authentic, don’t you? Let your secretary double check this afternoon.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Thanks, I shall.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She reached in and produced a second envelope. He looked at the top sheet, the letterhead and the little mark in the lower right corner, put it back in the envelope and said, ‘I had no idea we were playing in this league. Can’t you people allow the little man just a bit of fun?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘How could you in this caper? Offshore’s all tied up, Derek, Brussels is watching, you should have stuck to stately homes.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘So we pull out, yes?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘No. Here’s what I’d like you to do.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The evening was unsettled, the sea was building up a fraction too much for comfort yet the Emma Hamilton was a large craft.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Derek felt the world and his dog must know about this meeting but here they all were anyway, Paul, Marit, James Ingram, Johnathan and to his immense shock and Paul’s too – little Marie.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Marit chaired the meeting and opened. ‘Please state what you are. Marie first please.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’m not the sole supplier to the south-west, there are others, especially out of London but most of it comes through Plymouth, as you know. We had a feeling Terry Reynolds might have been branching out, using Linfield as a lab and paying heavily for the privilege. Terry’s no longer with us, nor the lovely Linda but that wasn’t our doing.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Johnathan?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Linfield’s in my name. Pater signed it over when he passed his 80th and my interest is in the commercial possibilities of that and my other property, The Elms. I can’t say I didn’t know what Terry was up to but we needed him for the landscaping, the architects and the antiques people. We were always ready to hang it round his neck if the worst came to the worst. I took no cut from that side of the operation.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Then why are you here tonight?’ asked Derek.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I keep the constabulary at bay. I have contacts within the county.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘James?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Seems I’m the most transparent here tonight. I run the houses and head up Fern, which has fingers in many pies – wind turbines, nightclubs, whatever turns a profit, excluding porn and drugs.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Derek?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘A bit like James, I dabble in a broad portfolio and make a little on every deal. I’m not known for trying the main chance. Some go pear-shaped and the rest pay my way out.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Paul?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I deal with people. Staff supply, jobs, immigration advice, security.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘So,’ concluded Marit, ‘apart from Marie, all of you are veritable saints, except that you all lied by omission. Let me fill in the blanks. ‘Johnathan, you’ve euphemized your role – you do keep official eyes from prying – at a price. Shall you tell them or shall I? As you wish. Johnathan is also involved in the male escort business and passes Marie’s contact number to discreet clients as well, am I right?</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Let’s continue. James, what’s your wife’s name? So shy? Marie, what’s your husband’s name? This is coming up to your eighth anniversary, is it not, the pair of you? </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Derek, what was the name of that young woman found on Bodmin Moor by the Fowey? She’d asphyxiated on her own vomit, I believe. Correct me if I’m wrong.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Paul, dear Paul. How many new citizens was it you lost at Zeebrugge a month back? One hundred and five from a total payload of one hundred and seventy seven, was it not? When they arrived, they had a nasty surprise awaiting them, did they not? But who am I to sit in moral judgement?</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Now, if you’re all happy to proceed with this business, by all means, be my guest.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Who the fuck are you, lady?’ demanded Eastbourne.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I represent interests within greater Europe who’d like to simplify the distribution channels in and out of member countries. We are not without resources.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You’re sailing close to the wind, lady with your True Confessions. One more crack from you and you’re over the side.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Really?’ She snapped her fingers, five of the security detail, Eastbourne’s own detail that was, came at him, lifted him bodily, took him, shouting, from the bar area, out of the port door, heaved him over the side and returned to their places.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘He has a sporting chance,’ explained Marit. ‘He’s 0.9 kilometres offshore, he’s not yet drunk and the water temperature this evening should give him a good thirty to forty minutes before hypothermia sets in. If he tries to board, he’ll be shot.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">To their enquiring glances, she added, ‘Money talks, sadly. Now, back to business. Anyone wish to open negotiations?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Johnathan Maven was stupid enough to try, the five security came at him, lifted him bodily, screaming far more than Eastbourne had, took him out and heaved him over, then returned to their places.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I think that concludes the evening’s business, does it not?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They trooped out to the waiting punt but Marit indicated she wanted to talk to Derek. ‘Right, Mr. Hatton, that’s the payback for Melissa Barnes, your niece, who called you for help from one of Eastbourne’s riverbank parties and whom you found choking on her own vomit when you arrived. Were you aware it was one of his parties?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Not a clue. If I had -’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes, what would you have done?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’d have shot him.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Then you would have shot the wrong person. It was Eastbourne’s party all right but the one who supplied her with the cut drug was at Linfield.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Confirm please.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Mr. Eastbourne had a twenty minute talk on his mobile that night with this person, the person supplied the drugs. It was not Marie. She deals in soft stuff. Neither are with us now. Mr. Ingram is straight, he had no idea Marie was doing as she was, as far as we know, I had a chat with her. I take it you plan to retire from this line of work,’ she indicated the boat. Derek nodded. ‘Stick to what you know,’ she suggested, with a kindly gesture. ‘I’d suggest properties – James Ingram is on the level, you’ll have to decide with Marie.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Both the Mavens? How will they take this? They were shown the same evidence you were this evening. They knew part of it, they’ll be in mourning and yet it was I suggested that you and James Ingram should be approached, that the passing over of elder son Arthur was a highly unusual move. They came clean so I’m told by phone – Johnathan was blackmailing them over her bona fides – a little matter of her showgirl past, they certainly play the lord and lady very well, no? With you and James, they would stay in their rightful home, it would pass to Arthur after that, he agreed that after that it goes to the Linfield Trust. Not the James Ingram Trust – the Linfield Trust. Much of that is still in the future if you choose to go this way. Now let’s go ashore.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">V</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Derek phone booked from London to see Amanda Greaves, violinist, on her return from her tour of eastern Europe.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Linfield was building a name around Britain and abroad as a delightful weekend away. Marit’s people did take a cut – 12% – they weren’t greedy.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: arial;">They were met at the Playhouse, as it was now known, by the ever-present Pippa who shook his hand, in they went and took their seats, the lights went down and Amanda Greaves began with ‘Schlechtes Wetter; Ach, Lieb, ich muss nun scheiden and Lied der Frauen’.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There was a slight weariness to her voice this time about – it had been a long tour and Derek was surprised she could even find a note. As the repertoire went on, most felt she was good, of that there was no doubt, but she hadn’t been great.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In fact, before the final number, she even apologized amid deprecating reactions from the audience for her not to trouble herself over that. It was a delightfully intimate theatre.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Pippa, the entertainments officer, had arranged for Derek to slip backstage to see the soprano afterwards and that’s where he observed not only her weariness but also her agitation. There was something not altogether right about Amanda this evening and ever the opportunist, Derek suggested they step out into the night.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">At first that seemed the last thing she wanted to do but then Pippa materialized from nowhere and nodded, Amanda agreed, they took the walkway over to the high terrace and sat on that low wall, looking down at the floodlit northern wing, now an impressive sight.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Care to talk?’ invited Derek.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Not really. Just a personal worry.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You’re being blackmailed. That was the only reason you sang this evening.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She jumped up as if to flee but he ordered her to stay and it might have been the change in tone, it might have been that he seemed to know, it might have been that she really had nowhere to flee. She was dying to tell him.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘There was a recital in Cornwall and a party afterwards. The whole thing took place on Bodmin Moor. I saw a woman slipping something to some girls at the front. I wouldn’t have seen it except that the lights flashed on stage at that particular moment and it lit up the front three rows. The reason I noticed was because the girls weren’t looking at me, not that it was necessary of course but it was still unusual at a recital; at least that’s what I thought.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After the performance, I saw one of those girls in a bit of trouble, I took her away from the compound area and we walked a bit. At least I walked but she stumbled. I wanted to get her medical attention but she gripped my arm and showed me that that was the last thing she wanted. She feared it for some reason. This was my crime. I should have insisted but I didn’t and she began to convulse.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I panicked, ran back to the stage area and screamed for someone, anyone, to get medical help. I think someone was called but by this time a man came to me and told me I’d left a dying girl, that the police would think I had given her the drugs and that he’d stay quiet if I gave him a portion of my takings and agreed to give three concerts at venues of his choosing. Tonight was the last of those.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You say ‘a man’. You mean it wasn’t the organizer of the event, Paul Eastbourne?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘How did you know his name?’ she asked in alarm.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Softly, softly. I just do. All will be revealed in a few minutes.’ She stood up to go once more. ‘No, Amanda, if you go now, there’ll be no end to this trouble. You’re quite safe, the blackmailer no longer has a secret to use.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She sat down again but was wary. He loosened his bowtie and went on. ‘The woman you saw give the drugs – was she small, dark-haired, pretty and moved quickly?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Amanda thought about it. ‘Not really. She was dark-haired but taller, very pale.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘A bit like Morticia Addams in the comedy show?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I don’t know what you mean.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘No matter. She looked goth.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes, yes that’s how I’d describe her. The man who blackmailed me was different. How is it personal to you?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Firstly, I’ll clear two storm clouds for you. Both those people are dead. They were killed by people in the trade. This information came to me via a long route. So some sort of justice has been done. And yet you were still being blackmailed until when?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Until two Thursdays ago. I haven’t heard since.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Ah, then that does not clear my friend at all. He drowned, from what I can gather.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She looked at him curiously. ‘You seem to lose a lot of friends.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘That girl, Amanda, happened to be my niece.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Ohmgd, I’m so terribly sorry.’ She took his hand and they sat for some two minutes.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘It’s a weight off the mind to know that though,’ Amanda murmured. ‘Are you sure that man is not coming back, the one who blackmailed me?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘If he’s the one I think he is, I have it on good authority that he drowned, trying to swim from a boat to the shore. We’d best be getting back.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They wandered back to the playhouse, she collected her things, he walked her to her car, chatting about this and that and promised to look out for her on her next tour.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Derek lay there in bed, hands behind head, thinking.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The moon bathing the room in its gentle light was just over half full and he half imagined the old woman would appear again, never having accepted she was a hologram, but the genuine article.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">That’s when he saw his bedroom door handle dip, saw the door slowly open, saw the foot before he saw the woman behind it, she slipped into the room and adjusted her eyes. Then her eyes saw him and she advanced steadily towards the bed. As he moved further towards the window side of the bed, she came to the bed, lifted the covers and climbed in beside him.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She moved across, her cold hand reached out and went around his waist. She hissed, ‘Well, are you going to hold me, Derek or are you going to lie there like a dummy all night?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Pippa,’ he whispered and kissed her. They fell into thirty minutes of intense negotiation and didn’t at first see the presence in the room of another person but they then heard the clump of the chain, pulled away from each other and stared in shock.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Over by the wardrobe had materialized that most pathetic of creatures, the gothic-attired old woman, hands manacled and presumably feet also; she gave out the most deliciously low, spooky moan and stared straight through the two of them. Pippa gasped and clutched him as the woman slowly, evenly, advanced towards the bed and then half of her seemed to be moving through the bed, the other half above.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A yard from their pillow, she spoke in a low voice, ‘Help me.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘How?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Help me. Help my daughter.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Pippa tumbled to it immediately. ‘The box room.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes,’ said the old lady and dematerialised.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Did we just see that?’ he asked.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We did and I know the legend. The hologram was created by James to cover any appearances this poor dear might make. What she thinks of what’s happened to the old place I’ll never know.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I should think she’d love the music and gaiety once more after the years of gloom but we’ll still have to help her. Can we?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We’re not even questioning what we saw?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Well, we saw her, didn’t we? She spoke to us and besides, you probably heard I’d seen her before.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We’ll go down tomorrow, find the girl’s bones, get the local minister in and bury her properly. And Derek, it looks as if James did this out of some malice, so let’s get one thing clear. I carry no candle for him but I think, with him, he just didn’t want the appearance to ruin the -’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘The business?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Well yes, I confess it – from Sir Richard to the Davesons, I’ve a reason, James has a reason, you have a reason for things to continue. I een think the old lady has a reason. So we must do this, not just for business reasons.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Does anyone know you’re here in this room?’ he asked. She shook her head. ‘Does anyone know of our plans?’ She shook her head. ‘Have you changed your mind?’ She smiled and shook her head. ‘One more thing, Pippa – is either Pete Daveson or his wife criminal?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Who knows but I think not. Pete certainly suspected Paul and you of being here for nefarious purposes. Said the two of you were going about whispering, acting most suspiciously. He’s attached to the place and wouldn’t go anywhere else, nor would she. You see, Sally’s mother was the governess for the children of the late Lord of the Manor and Pete was given his position by Sir Richard two decades ago, when he’d been distinctly on his uppers. He’s never forgotten that.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’m listening if there’s any more.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I stopped buying Paul Eastbourne,’ she said, ‘the moment he assumed you’d be part of his game. The way you just opened up to me – I know it was for knowledge at ground level here but I also felt you had possible plans for the future. Did they include me?’ He admitted it with a smile, she continued. ‘And now I’ve been asked to take on Linfield, now that Johnathan has … departed and Arthur doesn’t want. He asked me in fact. But I don’t want either.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘The Playhouse is your thing, plus attending to Lady Maven?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘In a nutshell. You know I want you here. Who’d run London though? Amy?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes, I’ve broached it with her, she knows the ropes, she makes many of the decisions anyway. She needs some sort of boost now, to keep her interested.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Derek, Lady Maven is delighted, she knows you’ll honour the agreements, they’ll stay on until their dying days – their naturally dying days, Derek,’ she hastily added, ‘Arthur’s fine with it, he owns the property now. The only question now is if you’re fine with me?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘And vice-versa.’ </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Let’s find out, shall we?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">………..</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">9492</span></p>James Highamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14525082702330365464noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2699251666835350287.post-36265280275053343082009-05-25T13:14:00.004+00:002022-06-25T13:39:53.988+00:00Lift<p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This is a true story in that it happened, we were trapped in there – there were embellishments in the story about the food but overall, it was as you read. The picture just below here is not of a Russian lift – far too swanky.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="fixing-the-lift" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-90" data-attachment-id="90" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="fixing-the-lift" data-large-file="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/fixing-the-lift.jpg?w=399" data-medium-file="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/fixing-the-lift.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/fixing-the-lift.jpg" data-orig-size="399,263" data-permalink="https://jameshigham.wordpress.com/2016/07/30/lift/fixing-the-lift/" sizes="(max-width: 399px) 100vw, 399px" src="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/fixing-the-lift.jpg?w=863" srcset="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/fixing-the-lift.jpg 399w, https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/fixing-the-lift.jpg?w=150 150w, https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/fixing-the-lift.jpg?w=300 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">To leave your flat in Russia for any reason, there’s a convoluted process. First you lock the inner door, then the middle if you have one, then comes the metal outer with its deadlatches – were you to want to burgle a Russian flat, you also sometimes have a metal landing door with lock as well, then the lift or stairs down, then an outer door at the end of the ‘foyer’. Despite all that, most security is via neighbours being about … if they’re good neighbours, that is.</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a name='more'></a></span><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The moment Hugh had got to the lift, heading down to the general shop attached to his house below, and the lift door had closed behind him, he realized he’d left his key to the downstairs door, the outer door in other words, in his other jacket’s pocket. How many times had he been told, ‘Na myeste,’ which is Russian for ‘in its place’? It was a new lock they’d just put in, new key, he’d not put it on the big keyring yet. Damn.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Not to worry, there was always someone coming through in either direction downstairs and even this needs explaining – it was a turnable latch on the inside, it only needed a key from outside. So getting to the shops was not the issue, the issue was getting back into the foyer.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There was an alternative – he could go round to the back stairs and that was not always locked, or at least the druggies kept it open but you’d have to run the gauntlet on those stairs – eight floors in his case – and that was not a pleasant thought – chances of someone jabbing a needle into you was high.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Walking back, he checked he had it all in the plastic packet – two salads, kolbasa, ham, rice, milk, jar of sauerkraut, smetana. He heard someone running for the door from inside – he was in luck – and who should burst out now but Masha from the floor below him.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Privyet.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Privyet.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Door slammed behind her as she went out and he went in.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He’d pressed the lift button but now there was a banging on the outer door, a furious banging.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Damn.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He walked over to the metal door, opened it and it was Masha, she’d forgotten something or other.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Their lift had by now gone up again, they pressed and waited. She was stamping her feet more with cold than frustration, arms folded, shivering.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The lift now did that annoying thing – it stopped at one floor, went to another within the building … and then stopped, which ‘unlit’ the button. Masha pressed it again, looked at him and stamped her feet again.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It did eventually come down.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Ding. Now it wouldn’t open. Why do lifts arrive but then take an interminable time for the doors to open?</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It opened.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In got Masha, in he got, she pressed her floor and his as well, although only the first would register.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Door closed.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They waited.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They waited a little longer.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He went to reach behind her to press the button. ‘I pushed it,’ she said in Russian.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Push it again.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Slightly irritated, she did and the lift didn’t move.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-2" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Walkies.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Pardon?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Walk, pyeshkom, on foot, we walk, Masha, up the stairs.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We’re in the lift.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Then press open.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I pushed it.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Push it again.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She gave him that look but did it all the same.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Nothing.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Move over,’ he said and that really, really annoyed her.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He also drew a blank and pushed the lift keeper’s button – she lived on the first floor.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You speak,’ he suggested to her.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You know Russian,’ she mocked, ‘you do it.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He sighed and tried to gather the vocab from his mental word store, looked at the button and pushed it again.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He stepped back. ‘You push it.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She did and then pushed it eight more times … he counted.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-3" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Blin,’ she muttered.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The first sign of their true predicament started raising its hand for attention. Lift stuck, no one at the end of the emergency button, the arrangement of the floors such that screaming and yelling would draw no one – they were behind two foot thick walls, and it was late Sunday evening. Everyone would be tucked away in their flats at this hour – all decent people would.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This was one of those new lifts they’d put in a month ago, it might have been new-fangled and shiny but there was one tiny little thing the old lift had which the new one didn’t – a rusted hole in the roof, in other words – ventilation and possible escape.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In short, they were now in a sealed cocoon.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As casually as he could, he glanced up at the ceiling for the hatch with wing nuts or at least screws which could be worked loose.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Nope, only a beautifully flush, fluorescent pane of light, dovetailed into the surrounding metal. He glanced at the floor – sealed at the edges. Not to worry, if they could prise the door open just a fraction, there’d be air.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Do you have a mobile phone?’ she asked.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Nyet.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She thought about that for maybe half a minute and then asked, ‘Why not? Every guy has a mobile phone.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘This one doesn’t. I use the landline. I take it you don’t either.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-4" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You’re right, I don’t.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Every girl -’ Then he stopped himself. No point provoking her. ‘How is your English?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘OK. How is your Russian?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Fair, as you can hear. We’ll do some of each, yes?’ She nodded. ‘All right, people will still come home from the bars,’ he surmised.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘No they won’t, not now.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘All right, the lift woman will come home.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘If she’s not home by now, she won’t be home tonight.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sigh. ‘All right, when you don’t arrive where you were going, there’ll be phone calls, those guys in the car will wonder when you don’t come out again.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘No there won’t be anyone, I sometimes say I’m going … and then I don’t.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He just looked at her. ‘Try the buttons again.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You try them.’ She slid her back down the wall the other side of the lift and sat on her haunches, pouting. He did try them, all of them, all the floors, the ‘open’ and ‘close’ buttons, the lot. He pushed them from different angles, with different pressures, he even held them in.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Nothing. He too sank to his haunches against the adjacent wall and thought it through. ‘Mobile wouldn’t work in here anyway.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-5" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I know.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Someone will be here shortly.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘No they won’t.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘All right, I know they won’t.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Why won’t they?’ she countered.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He looked at her curiously. ‘Tell me, Masha, what would you usually do in this situation? What do Russians do? Let’s say you come in downstairs, press the button, nothing happens, where do you go?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Up the stairs at the back.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Dangerous. Drugs.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Da.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Would anyone be likely to go to your landing at this hour on a Sunday?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She thought about it and nearly fell into the trap. ‘No,’ she eventually said.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘No girlfriends? Mother? Father?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘They’re away.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You’re dressed to go out. Would any of those go up the back stairs if you didn’t appear?’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-6" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She was about to say yes, then didn’t.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He grinned. ‘I’ve seen some of them on your landing.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She stared at the opposite wall, then looked down at the floor. ‘I’ve seen some women going to your floor.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Clients and friends.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Mine are friends too.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Mine are there for advice.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Not all.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They lapsed into silence. Right, he thought, the air would be good for an hour all up, it was a large lift. It was totally bare inside, no little hammer in a glass case, no jagged piece of metal to break off, as with the last lift. The light was the only way, by breaking the perspex. Then what? Electric shock as the light went out? The seriousness began to impinge on the brain.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hey, he thought, there are a hundred flats in this block, many young people, the lift was always going up and down, even late.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Not on a Sunday, admittedly.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A wintry Sunday.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This was a little more serious than he’d thought. On spec, he pushed the lift woman’s button again … nothing although he could hear it ringing through the speaker. He stood up, pressed the ground floor again and her floor, then his.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-7" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hmmmm. ‘Masha, wait till I put my fingers in my ears and then how about you scream at the top of your voice for a minute? I sometimes hear you from my flat.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She grinned and asked, ‘Gatov? Ready?’ He nodded and she screamed, boy did she scream and he’d have loved to have had a decibel reader just then. Her scream strangled itself at the end and she got her breath back.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You were good,’ he grinned. ‘Remind me never to attack you.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She gave a mock bow.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hmmmm. ‘In your bag – do you have anything useful, anything metal, anything to help get the door open a little?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Nyet.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They lapsed into silence again. Then he asked, ‘Have you eaten?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I was going to eat out. Have you?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Only what’s in here.’ He pulled out the salads from his bag, she recognized them, plus the kolbasa. ‘No knife, just rip it open’ He offered it, she hesitated, then smiled and said spasibo. ‘We could be here a while. A bit at a time. Which do you want?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Both.’ At his look, she added, ‘We generally have a bit of one, a bit of the other.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Fine, fine.’ he started to try to un-cling-film it, he was hopeless.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Here, give it to me.’ She found the edge and slowly peeled it back, laying each piece over her knee to put back after. She took off the lid, said ‘spasibo’ again and took a little less than one quarter with her fingers, then repeated the process with the other. She broke the end off the kolbasa.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-8" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I see you almost every day,’ she said, ‘but I never learned your name. You already call me by my nickname.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes but I call you ‘vi’ as well. How many guys call you ‘vi’?</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She was silent on that and he knew she appreciated it. Respect was a precious commodity in Russia, rarely meted out to any under thirty. ‘My name’s Hugh.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Ochyen priyatno.’ She extended a hand and he shook it.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">About twenty-five minutes had gone by and that was usually enough time for someone to have come through and have seen the problem. He was sure that if one of the older set had seen the lift in that state, he or she would have been on the phone – that generation always would.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He stood and in frustration, pushed the eighth floor button. There was a whoosh, the lift went into its usual mode and started going up. He looked at her and she was smiling.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Hey,’ he said.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Suddenly the bloody thing stopped, bounced a bit and finally came to rest, halfway between floors 4 and 5.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They both swore like troopers, both tried everything to get it going again and both finally sat back down on their haunches, frustrated beyond measure.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There was nothing for it but to prise the door open and all he had on him was his metal belt buckle, obviously his shoes as well. He looked at her but she had her jacket on. ‘Do you have a metal belt buckle?’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-9" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Da.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We need to use it and mine too.’ He stood up, lifted his jacket and removed the belt. Pushing the buckle where the two doors met, he made a little progress but now she handed him hers and it was also next to useless – cosmetic. He didn’t want to break it anyway as she’d be upset and there wasn’t a lot of money about for girls such as her.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The air was beginning to get that little bit musty now so he knew he’d have to try it. Her buckle did go in but the problem was that he couldn’t twist it. She saw what he was trying to do, said, ‘Wait one moment, look the other way,’ she did something behind him while he tried to insert his own buckle in the slight gap.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Here,’ she offered.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She gave him a piece of curved metal, he kept a straight face. Usually, those wire things bend but this was quite solid. Why? Never mind. It worked bent over double and he knew he had to buy her a new bra – that would go down well.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">With a lot of huffing and puffing, he worked the metal in and it gave a sliver of ventilation. It would do.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They sat down on their haunches again, back against the walls. ‘I have these too,’ he said. He pulled out the box of chocolates and tried to get the plastic wrap off but couldn’t find the point.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Here,’ she laughed. ‘Give it to me.’ She found it quickly, the plastic wrapper came off and she handed them back.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘No, you choose the ones you want.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-10" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He watched her deciding and thought she was like his own ex-ladyfriend – indecisive when it came to critical decisions like this. She’d worked on her hair for some time before she’d come out – it was frizzy and gave the appearance of golden locks tumbling down everywhere. His ladyfriend called the style chemistry. Ex-ladyfriend.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Your hair took a lot of work this evening, da?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She did not take umbrage but smiled and went back to her chocolate selection. Well, at least that was occupying her. She did choose, by comparing the wrapper to the diagram … and thanked him.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It was chilly now in the lift and he thought whether to close the door. Best not.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘May I ask you something, Masha?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Da.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Why did you come out just in those clothes? It’s a good jacket but it’s only hip length and already you’re shivering.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I was going in a car.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘And now the car has gone.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Da.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘And you have no mobile phone.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You’re right.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Won’t they be wondering where you’ve got to?’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-11" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Only for a few minutes. I’m a bit capriziosna.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He smiled. ‘Don’t argue with this.’ He took off his jacket and said, ‘Let me have your jacket and scarf … please.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She hesitated for a moment, the cold won and she gave him both. He stood, took his fur jacket off – a true kill-all-cold jacket – she got up, turned and zipped up. ‘It will give you some padding to sit on too.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He put her jacket around his shoulders and then started to wrap her scarf from the backside up like a mummy, she saw what he was trying and said, ‘Here, I’ll do it.’ She wrapped it round and round and tucked it in near the shoulder. Longest scarf he’d seen.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Ask me whatever you want,’ she suddenly said.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Pardon?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You’re dying to ask me some questions – you’re the question type. I’ll tell you. You want to know where I was going and who they were.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Da,’ he chuckled.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’m at KAI. They were some of the guys. Go on, ask me.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I can’t. I don’t know that I’d like the answer. I don’t know that I’d like to think of you that way.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘How do you know that? Why do you jump to that conclusion?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’ve been invited to places I shouldn’t be invited to and get a shock when I’m there.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-12" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Invited or you invite yourself?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I never invite myself, Masha, never.’ She saw that that had hit a nerve and rested a hand on his forearm.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Except for those women,’ she added. ‘What happens in your flat?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I give people advice on work, presentations, that sort of thing.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘And?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You’re fishing. There’s nothing there.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘That dark haired one, the tall one – she’s always coming in.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘And have you noticed the tall man, about thirty, with the close-cropped hair? He visits three times a week.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Da.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Why don’t you ask me about him?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She grinned. ‘Not as interesting. What about the blondinka, the small one? She’s always there.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Guilty. She was mine, she’s not now.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘She’s very pretty.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Everyone says so.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You’re spoilt.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-13" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘People have said so, yes.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Are you kind?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I don’t know, I think so.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I think so.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘No, that’s survival.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘What do you want in a girl?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Goodness. Someone who looks after herself first, who doesn’t hate men.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Who hates men?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘There are many in the west.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Must she be pretty?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Good word, pretty. Do you agree that it’s different to the word ‘beautiful’?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Nu, da, konyeshno [of course].’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I like pretty better than beautiful. There’s something called too pretty.’ This did not compute in her brain. ‘It’s true. When she acts expensively, men walk the other way if they’re intelligent.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘That’s awful. Am I beautiful?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘The thirst of Eve. Yes, you’re stunningly beautiful, which is why I’ve never approached you.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-14" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Are you scared of me?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes. I could get into a lot of trouble with you. What do you want in a boy?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Who says I want a boy?’ She was losing interest. ‘What are we going to do now, it’s getting late.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Time for you to scream again, then we’ll have some more kolbasa, salad and chocolates. OK?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘OK. You ready?’ He nodded and she gave it both lungs while he hollered up a treat, then they went silent.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I think something happened with the front door when they and the electricity problem affected the lift.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Nah, the lift’s always breaking down.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Not the new one.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Do you think we might be here all night?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Can’t see it. Why don’t we do it this way. We’ll finish up the salad now because it won’t last, even at this temperature. Your bag can be a pillow, my jacket I see you like – you try to get some sleep for a while.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You’ll look in my bag.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘How?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She lay down as outlined, it was all right for a few minutes but she was not happy, she sat up again. ‘You’re cold there and I’m cold on the floor, even in this jacket. It’s not fair to you. Give me the chocolate box lid … please.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-15" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He did, she unclipped her bag and poured everything into the upturned lid. His eyes almost popped out. The things in a woman’s bag are a revelation. The first was a mobile phone.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘They cut me off. I didn’t pay the bill.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You don’t have to do this, Masha. It’s not an inquisition, I don’t need to know.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Look.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘The cosmetics – my goodness, do you use all those?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Da.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘So, what’s the big deal? Why would you be worried about me looking in your bag if you’ve nothing interesting there?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Are you blind?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’m a bit stupid, yes. I don’t know what I’m meant to be looking at.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes you do.<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">’ He’d kept his eyes away from the pack of condoms.</span></span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘That’s your business.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Do you think I’m pretty?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We’ve done that one.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘My mobile wasn’t disconnected. It’s just turned off but it’s true the battery’s low.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-16" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He looked at her. She continued, ‘I didn’t want to be phoned.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You let us stay here, knowing that?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Da. Are you angry with me?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’ve enjoyed every moment. Aren’t you going to phone anyone?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Do you want me to? I’m as warm as anything in your jacket.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He thought for ten seconds. ‘No, I don’t want you to phone but we might have to.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She thought for a minute and then said, ‘I lied to you. The battery’s completely flat. I meant to recharge it before I left but I forgot.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Have a chocolate.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘What do you recommend?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘This one. You seem to like soft centres.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Someone had pushed a button, the lift started up and went to the 10th floor. When the doors opened, the lad broke into laughter at the cross-dressing. They both shuffled out, waited till the boys got in and went down, saying nothing.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Not by lift,’ she said, ‘we’ll take the stairs, it’s ok this high up.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It was ok, he walked her to her landing and so here it was. She took out her key quickly and in that perfunctory way, was almost gone but then came the quick glance and smile. ‘Спасибо. За все. [thanks for everything].’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-17" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Then she’d gone. </span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He went back upstairs.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">………..</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">3437</span></p>James Highamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14525082702330365464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2699251666835350287.post-25943984360690571362009-05-22T12:14:00.005+00:002022-06-25T13:30:56.139+00:00Moon Over Sedna<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hoax-slayer.com/images/north-pole-moon2.jpg" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338620229407712290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYti6lbIvUJ4lZG3oVsj-x9pQMImA3cVPu7g9shNMWLjVijkP-z8tt3wGa4MGtQ3njr_P_gp3zTPItb1vTGZVRj1oodPyIjoDD_vRlx_fcIRUQo6qANhHpQIFx_AQryWgirrQKcg0AyjIY/s400/north-pole-moon2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: arial; font-weight: 700;">Foreword</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The 2005 Outer Reaches conference in New York had reached the last day and the topic was Sedna. The hall was packed. This slide [later part of a Wiki entry] was projected onto the large screen:</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><em style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sedna (provisionally designated 2003 VB12) was discovered by Michael Brown (Caltech), Chad Trujillo (Gemini Observatory), and David Rabinowitz (Yale University) on 14 November 2003. The discovery formed part of a survey begun in 2001 with the Samuel Oschin telescope at Palomar Observatory near San Diego, California using Yale’s 160 megapixel Palomar Quest camera.</span></em></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It was question time:</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a name='more'></a></span><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Joel Parris, Associated Press: Dr. Brown, you’re referred to as the man who killed Pluto, it had it coming. You and your team then discovered the dwarf planet Sedna. What went wrong after that?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Mike Brown: We came up against one tiny little glitch, Joel. Thirty-five Hubble Space Telescope images taken in mid-March said there was no moon and the question of whether this was even a planet therefore arose.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-0" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You originally thought there were two moons.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘That’s correct. We were sure it must have had at least one – the slow speed of rotation, at least twenty earth days, instead of a few hours like most other asteroids. Further observation and calculations told us there wasn’t.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Susan Hobbes, Reuters: Dr. Brown, what can you tell us about Sedna that most astronomers are actually agreed on?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Astronomers calculated Sedna to be about 1,770km in diameter, slightly smaller than Pluto and about three times further away from our sun. That’s a long way away. It was cold, red-colored and slow-moving: a year on Sedna was equivalent to about 10,500 Earth years or even more, maybe 11,400. It was supposedly composed of frozen methane and other ice, very cold -’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’m getting the feeling you’re about to announce something which has happened, some development?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘In one. We stick to what we say about the moons but there’s some other object out there, it orbits Sedna, it appears to be rock beneath ice. The ice may not be methane, this we don’t know as yet, we think, on balance, it is methane.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Maxim Shemkoff, Pravda -’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: arial; font-weight: 700;">I</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Dean Freeman switched it off and turned to the five they’d brought into the John A Lassky Center this third Friday in June, 2011, co-director Jay Richards beside him, and added, ‘Dr. Brown took the question from the Pravda man, a minor question about gases, then left the press conference. </span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-1" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">That was six years ago and there’s been no official shift in opinion since that time. Sedna is still regarded, as he said, as a dwarf planet, it’s going to be closest to our earth around 2075, there’s talk at NASA about a craft to meet it.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘And are we agreed,’ asked Amanda Billings, ‘that Sedna does have this orbiting rock?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes. An orbiting rock with irregularities in its composition and in its motion. Zoe, the name of this rock, is an interesting tale. If 90377 Sedna is named after the Inuit goddess of the sea, then Dr. Brown thought he’d name this rock after something Greek, Hebrew or even Assyrian but it appears it was already named. How he could know that is quite curious to us – the name does not refer to anything in our mythology whatever.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Can we just establish, Mr. Freeman,’ asked Susan Allison, ‘that apart from this rock, there are no moons -’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘There was one.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Was?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We blew the real moon up.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There was a hubbub, Freeman did not smile through his goatee beard, he just took a sip of water and waited for the hubbub to subside.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘With all due respect, Mr. Freeman,’ objected Roland Parris, ‘we don’t possess the technology to get that close, even with the stuff we keep closeted, and we sure as hell haven’t had that amount of time to transport a weapon of that kind of firepower … er … that far.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-2" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Correct. Nor would it have been much use had we done so. The Zoessi do possess the means though. We just relayed them the message to go ahead and they did the rest.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Whoa, I can’t see you for dust,’ said Parris. You ‘relayed’ something to them? Who the hell is ‘them’? And you’re still talking over 25 years just to get a message over that distance.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘That’s correct, with our technology.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Explain, pretty please?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘When I say we relayed it, we relayed it to their people here at the Center, they communicated with their home and that was that.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jay chuckled. ‘It gets worse, Roland. Tell them, Dean, about<span style="box-sizing: inherit;"> the Zoessi. As a matter of fact, there’s one of them in the room with us now.’</span></span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Predictable looks all around.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You were all, as Jay said earlier, brought in by degrees, with much sifting and confirmation along the way. You’re here for a project which you’ve shown great interest in so far, involving communicating with another world though you no doubt thought it meant telescopes and the like, though we gave you to understand, correctly, that there’s far more, that this is pioneering work – we need your skills and we need your temperament. We’re now at the business end of this process, good people. It needs to be a contractual arrangement because there is training, outlay on both sides in time, effort and in our case – costs. If you like us, if we like you, then we go ahead.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-3" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Susan chipped in. ‘Just how were we selected? What common factor do we all have?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You may not like it.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Try me.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘The only reason I’ll try you all is that you’ve got this far, after a rigid process. You were all selected because you were not extraordinary.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Ordinary in other words.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘No, not ordinary in the least. Just not extraordinary. You’ve answered the questions you’ve been asked all the way along the line to this point but it’s fair you’re told what some of the 200 plus criteria were.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We’ve already told you you were selected for being ‘not extraordinary’ but the most important factor, way above any others, was your ability to empath, as we call it. Not empathise, though that’s always handy too. None of you are overly-emotional beings, yet you have compassion and can open your minds, this is beyond price. There is no way the Zoessi can communicate with you unless that be so.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Hang on,’ said Amanda, ‘we haven’t even got to these so-called Zoessi yet.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We will,’ smiled Freeman. ‘The other factors are all assessed with that empath ability in mind. With the males for example – nobody overly alpha, no Adonises but also no elephant men, just in the middle or rather – away from the edges. All the males are strong enough and can step up when required.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-4" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">With the females, it’s the lack of stridency, lack of wailing, with not too troublesome monthly issues, no extremes in other words. Sounds highly intrusive but I assure you you’ll see the reason very early on. Regarding ethnicity – it’s not for reasons of dislike but because the Zoessi find it far easier with your physiological profiling, quite similar.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’m the only non-Anglo,’ commented Jacinta Llata, drily.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘That’s true but you had so many of the other criteria that it just had to be. You’ve all had your moments in life but haven’t had ultra high stress, except in one or two things. Everyone has a personal tale to tell – we can’t have perfect beings, we need flawed -’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Well you’ve certainly got that with me,’ laughed Susan.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes but you five are also not too self-effacing, you’re realistic about your abilities. You have human strengths and human weaknesses. It’s a corny way to put it but you’re ‘nice’ people who have had their moments. You’re sane. The Zoessi can do business with such people.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘And the Zoessi themselves,’ said Jacinta, ‘are they … er … ‘nice’?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Essentially, yes, people tend to gravitate towards similar types. They are a people, not just a force or power, although they can only manifest themselves away from their rock by empath methods. They have developed these over time.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘If they were to assume their own form,’ continued Jacinta, ‘assuming these people do exist, if they could appear here now, you’re saying they would look like us?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes, we would,’ said Dean. ‘We prefer the human form, it’s closest to ours. The differences between Chinese and Japanese, western and eastern Europeans – that’s the level of difference.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-5" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You look human enough. Except for your vast superiority, technically of course.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We’re just further down the track than you – you’re a younger people than ours – but you will also get to the point we have one day, provided you haven’t killed yourselves off in the meantime.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Sounds a bit too good to be true,’ observed Jacinta.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘It does at a first meeting. Meetings like this are always nicey-nicey, everyone being pleasant – it’s the nature of meetings. When we get down to work, it’s as people always are – someone will have an idea, someone will disagree, the first will be unhappy with that.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘But you said we’d all be happy.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I said you’d all be taken care of, as any company would. You’ll not want for things. As for whether you’ll be happy, that’s up to you. You were selected because you are essentially happy types, you don’t brood, you don’t grow bitter. There is one other thing no one has asked about but I need to mention it -’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘No one’s married,’ supplied Jacinta, ‘no one has children. The men are all 35-50, somewhere there, the women all 30-40, very traditional, very ‘middling’.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes. You’ll be working for days, weeks on end with each other for company – we had to make sure that the least trouble possible would come from this. We need you working, not bickering, as any company needs. You’ll work a standard day for us, in two shifts – one of four hours, then a two hour break, and another four hours after that, not physical labour, staggered so that someone is always on duty. Though you have no spouse or child, you still have family and you can webcam them whenever you wish, from here, not from Zoe itself, you’ll have days off, the usual thing you’d expect, you’ll have eight weeks annual leave altogether, in four two-week stints. We know you’re all in good health.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-6" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘What about the long term, say ten years down the track?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Or even earlier, let’s be honest. Should you lose your ability, you’re pensioned off but your family, those you select to go with you and who agree, will go to a place by the lake and forest which we own, a large area, a community of huts or lodges.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Or on Zoe?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes, it’s possible, if you wish – that’s your choice, not ours, but that would involve some changes in you of course. Now I must get to a most important point. Before you know anything more about this operation, which is tantamount to knowing our industrial secrets you understand, nothing more untoward han that, then you’ll need to sign a document which you’ll read at your leisure in a minute or two, stating that nothing that is divulged to you about the operation after this point now can ever be divulged to anyone else, even family. I point out and emphasise that there is nothing illegal being asked of you in terms of human or national law, nothing beyond your capacities, nothing involving danger to your person or to any of your families. But we really do have secrets which must be kept from our opposition.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They looked at one another. Asked Roland: ‘Are we actually working for the forces behind governments, the evil muvvers who control the world?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes and no. There’s certainly funding, just as there was with the Manhattan Project and similar, but this project has no military purpose, it’s of no value to those who control things.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Why not?’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-7" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Because they can never control the seven of us – we provide you with defences.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘And if we decline now and take our leave, we will not meet with an accident?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘No. That is guaranteed. This is a contract over a period of time. Read it, then if you’re happy, sign it and join Jay and me in the next room. That’s where we’ll get down to the fine detail. Should you not wish, you’re free to leave and anything you’ve been told so far is not confidential – it’s just that no one would believe you except the opposition – and they already know. Guess who they’d then torture to get the secrets? We’ll be next door.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There’d been a healthy discussion, no doubt monitored, but in the end, they realised it was a pretty standard contract, covering everything from pensions to danger to walk-away clauses. Lmited time, renewable. The Zoessi were as had been stated, they were not going to take the humans over, the five were not asked to do anything untoward outside the Ten Commandments, there were no tricks. If any sort of trick was alleged by any of the five, it was grounds for them to walk away. It seemed more like a tour of duty.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They’d all agreed.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The next room, as Freeman had called it, was awesome and if the other had just been a foyer, this was like a giant war room. The six were on a walkway at one end, looking down on banks of computers being operated by people of all ages – they seemed human enough. Dean would rejoin them soon.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-8" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">At the other end of the hall which Jay was now pointing out was a big board and projected onto that from behind was a picture of Zoe.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Hardly a moon,’ commented Jay, ‘it’s a space station provided by our resources here, transported by their technology to that rock. It’s made of a hybrid metal developed here, not unlike carbon fibre in strength but metallic. The station itself cannot be observed from earth, it’s about 75 miles across, in imperial, and inside is a living, thriving community. Work parties go out from there to mine minerals from the rock. And not slave labour, they’re paid as any workers are., except not badly.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Tell me,’ asked Roland. ‘If you’re one of them, are you going to suddenly turn alien and eat us or lay your eggs in us or something worse?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’m human, Roland, you’re looking at a fellow human, with a Zoessian inside, Dean chooses to say he’s Zoessian but it’s still a human host. That’s how they travel and how those of you who opt to do so will too. And to answer the unasked, the human can end this whenever he wishes and that person returns. So it’s in the interests of both to be in agreement. The Zoessian protective measures within the mind also take care of the body, just as your system does for you, only this adapts you to Zoe.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You mean astral projection?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘No no, that’s a field the opposition tries to get into – we’ve nothing to do with that, it’s a different thing in every way. This is physical.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Dean now joined them and was also taking questions.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Explain the project,’ asked Jacinta.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-9" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘It’s commercial, we’re in the mining business, we extract the solid methane, tap it. The rock is rock but it’s still covered with this methane ice.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Extracted as methane?’ asked Roland.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Good question – no, not just as methane. Methane, as you know, is difficult to control. It reacts and if it’s not kept under control, then it goes all the way to carbon dioxide and water, even without enough oxygen. As it melts, outside Sednian temperatures I mean, it becomes … difficult.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You’ve just described three things we have and need on earth,’ said Daniel Landau for the first time. ‘ Is this thing zero sum? In other words, how much goes to your people and how much to earth people? Does it go the other way about?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘It would be zero sum if there were peak amounts, but there are not – the frozen methane keeps coming back in from outlying debris but it’s true we need far more – and earth has plenty. It transports quite well and at the Zoessian end, is refined, along with the mined matter. We sell it back, refined. The two rocks – yours and ours – are not essentially different.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Why the huge secrecy? Is it that humans, at this stage of their development, cannot be allowed to know because we’re not sufficiently developed? Would we panic?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Look how quickly you’ve accepted two things – not officially, I know, but to the point we can even discuss such matters – firstly the existence of the Zoessi and secondly the ability to communicate with us. Most of your people could not get their heads around half of that, not really, truly, and yet even that is not the primary issue with humans. It’s not you yourselves who are any sort of problem, it’s those controlling you. I’m not going into who the ones are who do control you because your internet is already onto it and that will take its own course.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-10" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We ourselves can only survive artificially for some time on your planet because our defences are exhaustible. I, for example, must return within twenty nine of your earth days.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You can come back later?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Oh yes, not a problem – R&R, I think you call it. Yep, give me a couple of earth months at home, then I can come back for another 29 days.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You seem human.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I am human in the sense that our physiology is the same, give or take the differences you can observe – the problem is that though Zoessian defences work for us plus for any humans there, they don’t work quite as well here for a Zoessian, plus the human tires too in time. You can see why it had to be people of your nature we recruited, same at that end.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘And we can all do this?’ asked<span style="box-sizing: inherit;"> Susan. ‘What happens if we fail to measure up?’</span></span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘It’s possible, Susan, in the way that any humans fail at anything along the way. Most don’t and do fine – there are no surprises in this. If you feel it’s too much, then we need to keep you within the field of protection, you can still work and make a living, but within a protective zone, as the opposition have nasty ways.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Do you have nasty ways?’ asked Jacinta.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Not to our payroll. Quite the opposite, as you’re about to find out. But the opposition are still out there, they wish to muscle in and destroy the operation and not just for commercial reasons. Yes, we’re terminal towards them for sure, hence the blowing up of that actual moon, which had been occupied.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-11" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘It’s only the methane you’re extracting?’ Roland returned to the topic.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘No, we also need triton-type tholins. They’re of little use to earth though.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Obvious question,’ asked Amanda, ‘but describe the station more.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘It’s a giant station with shielding. It doesn’t show up on optical telescopes.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘But it does on other types.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘It does on other types, yes. Hence we had to blow up the second ‘moon’. It was threatening our existence.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You murdered them?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘If there are some fifteen thousand of us and two million bots coming at us – yes, we blow it up.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘And I suppose they had cladding too.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘All the best planets and moons do. Yours will too one day. For now you have your ozone. As for the station, i<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">t’s cobbled together partly from our scrap but also from your materials. And true confession time – our people have been doing this for centuries in your time, unbeknowns to earthlings.’</span></span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘The people you mention who run this earth of ours – do they have any capacity for such things?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘It was they who commissioned the pirate station – that’s what the other ‘moon’ was. Let’s get down to this now. Best description I can give is they’re demi-human, they’re not civilized, you really do not wish to have anything to do with those entities – you see the grief in your own world caused by them. They occupy all high places in your governments and other organisations. They assume forms which are human but later give themselves away. Have you ever seen a photo of Zbigniew Kazimierz Brzezinski in his later years?’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-12" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Ah yes,’ Jacinta spoke. ‘Was he actually human?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Not as we would describe it. No, he has other forms inside, he has occupied a human, shall we say.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Describe the – well – the telepathy.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We’re not giving away completely how it works, it’s a mind/body mix which travels, it must have a host once you reach Zoe, otherwise you’re in ‘no man’s land’. It’s not traumatic because there is no sensitivity, no feelings, no moods which travel, only reasoning.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I myself am human,’ Jay reminded them, ‘but host to a Zoessian in here.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘And when the Zoessian in Dean Freeman returns there, what does Dean Freeman become here?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Finally the question. All right, Dean Freeman either is himself again or else hosts another Zoessian -‘</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Or else dies?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes, but so would you if you’d lost your mind. The only humane way is an exchange. In Dean’s case, his human fell in love with a Zoessian there. There are therefore four in a love affair. <span color="initial" style="box-sizing: inherit;">There does exist, as mentioned, attrition, age, being worn out from too many journeys. If his human were to return to Dean here, Dean would have lost much of the normal human immunity – hence our ‘retirement village’, from where he does not re-emerge unless it’s to return to Zoe. The journeys are not an infinite number. ‘It’nothing to do with being in a prison, it’s to do with immunity against all the nasties outside. I would die soon after if tried to go it outside.’</span></span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-13" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Silence. Dean went on. ‘There are around a dozen Zoessi currently on earth, not all in this Center, most are in your ‘retirement home’.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘What’s in all this for earthlings?’ asked Jacinta.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Good question. All right, here it is. We cannot extend life or any of that but we can help the bodily defences of both peoples, such that if they live a certain lifestyle, are hardworking, go into the sun, if their empath level is high enough – they enjoy good health on the whole until the body itself is ready to finish up. Not always but generally, one of these lives until 85 – 95, in good health. But we keep using the word empath – this is far more than being nice, this is the key to staying alive. There’ll be more on that in the next few weeks.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You mean a supplement, an elixir?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes, partly, but no more than what polio vaccines and others have provided. The danger is the enemy. They desperately want this so-called elixir for themselves while trotting out a false one for humans – they hate humans, detest them. Early, for-purpose vaccines worked fine, the ones now are designer killers. Ours is natural, a by-product of the other operation, humans were anyway increasing longevity, overcoming illnesses, belief systems are important, if benign – for the enemy, this is the last thing they need. There was every chance humans would finally wake up to them.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes but why would humans need these vaccines anyway?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Were a pandemic to break out, say. A plandemic.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Ah.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They broke to eat.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-14" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: arial; font-weight: 700;">II</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They’d been three weeks at this work and at their desks in the communications room for two hours today. The work was not arduous, it was mainly research at this stage and the five thought it a quite pleasant way to be earning inordinate sums.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Each was accommodated in quarters like small cottages outside the first perimeter fence but there were two more fences before the big wild world out there. It was better than a typical town for workers, the landscaping was pleasant and green, there were tree lined streets, there were many such huts and each had a different design in some respect. They’d clearly gone to some trouble. One interesting aspect was that the cottages were all built in wood, no exceptions.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After work they’d either use the company facilities in the main building at the Center – the gym, the entertainment centre, whatever, but generally they’d hurry home after the shift ended, via the step-on shuttle which came past the front door every 20 minutes.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This now was not the end of the day though, it wasn’t even lunchtime and yet two of them who worked close to each other both stopped now, no one looked at them.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Jacinta, do you have a moment?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Thus spake Daniel.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You know I do, you know what’s on my mind – it’s on your mind too. There’ve been some interesting things these three weeks, Daniel. Sue’s gravitated towards Roland, Amanda and Jay have moved in together …’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-15" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘As if by design. Or awfully good recruiting.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We’ve all become more sensitized. I can pick up how Sue’s feeling, less so Amanda but you – I’m pretty sure of what you’re feeling and when. I want to know how far they can control us, whether they can direct our actions, stop certain behaviours, all in a good cause of course, keeping us on an even keel.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">At the end of each bank of computers was a sitting area for four or five cushioned seats and they’d drifted over there now.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Seems to me,’ said Daniel, ‘they can pick up on our moods, not so sure they know what we’re thinking. I know the tech is about mind/body projection along a conduit of some form but that doesn’t mean that outside the conduit, the pathway, they can do it. What about in our quarters? I’m sure they can pick up on moods though, feelings, anxiety, joy -’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘And lust. A<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">nd that’s what worries me. No regrets, Daniel and here’s hoping but I’ve been thinking about this expanded state of ours, whether it removes all inhibitions. And if it removes those, what about anger and things like that?’</span></span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Do you know what I’m thinking now?</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She concentrated and concentrated but then shook her head. ‘I get your mood loud and clear and it’s the same as mine. Your actual thoughts though? No, not yet.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘So,’ he said, ‘perhaps they can’t mind-read.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I can certainly feel Dean’s feeling of unease in our direction, I’m not sure I like it. And now I want you, we both know what’s about to happen … and we can’t stop.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-16" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There was not even time for reply, she’d stood, dropped the light blue dress from her shoulders … the rest followed. There in the second room of the Center. No one looked.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: arial; font-weight: 700;">III</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It was the fifth week when Dean Freeman finally gathered them all in the first room again and they talked, or rather – mainly listened.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You’ve been run off your feet, your hours are staggered, it’s been impossible to have this until today but I convinced our funders we needed it, otherwise the human component of the equation is going to burn out. They’re well aware of what’s been happening and want it stopped. We’re not referring to certain activities in the big hall, we’re talking interference from outside.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You’re well aware that sudden urges are involved, sometimes sexual, sometimes anger, sometimes lethargy and we weren’t able to get you working again. We’re all aware it’s beyond normal, almost as if a normal feeling has been taken over and just cranked up to full speed.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He looked around and they were looking at each other a bit sheepishly but also surprised that they were all in the same situation. Dean went on. ‘You’ve noted my anxiety too. <span color="initial" style="box-sizing: inherit;">We, the Zoessi, know humans, how you operate. And we know that something has got into the pathway to make you this way, something alien, hyper, neither you nor we are responsible for it. We know what it is.</span></span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We’ve told you about the ‘opposition’ – that’s a kind word for them. We have suppressors, we have all sorts of failsafes, we have our monitoring of you which a couple of you are worried about but not all are.’ He did not look at anyone. ‘You might think that’s prying, spying, but if you only knew – it is so we can take instant action if we see something like this happening, if there’s an attack on you.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-17" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Of late, with four of you, not Amanda, something has been preventing the monitoring and we believe that it’s this alien element which has got through. With two of you, it’s been annoyance, bordering on anger – problem with humans being human is that it could just be natural – or maybe it’s this interference. And for the other two, it’s been the sexual imperative. That might not sound a problem but it is when you’re in transit or on Zoe, because it’s amplified.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘More on who they are, this enemy?’ asked Jacinta.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘They’re scouting parties, mischief makers. Humans give them names in films – gremlins, goblins – and the females have names too. They serve a master. Of late, we’ve been having issues with these females – we call them Sirens. They’re lost women from history, were probably raped and/or murdered and they’re out there doing the bidding of someone above them. They’ve long since lost any reason, they are base in their souls.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Were these the inhabitants of the second ‘moon’?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘No, the second ‘moon’ had warriors and mining crews, but they fell under the influence of these elements, let alone the way that ‘moon’ had just muscled in on our patch anyway, which we weren’t putting up with.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Where are they coming from?’ asked Susan. ‘These Sirens I mean, is it from Zoe?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘No, from here, from this end. They’re actually going through the pathway outwards from here, causing mayhem and then coming back here. There’s a certain opinion on Zoe, I have to tell you, which is not well disposed towards you humans for this reason. They want the project stopped.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-18" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So what you, what we also must do is stay vigilant, we the Zoessi have ways of dispersing them but still they come back. There’s not a lot you can personally do – I can’t ask you not to be annoyed or not to make love – but be aware you might be facilitating this thing if it gets excessive.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">At a minimum, shut down any of these feelings until you’re back in your quarters, don’t bring them into the Center or if it does happen while you’re working, then excuse yourself and the Zoessi will understand why.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Will we ever visit Zoe?’ asked Roland.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Amanda already has. You want to speak of it, Mandy?’ There was a gasp.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I don’t want to be rude to Dean but it’s like living in some sort of giant metallic barracks – vast of course, many acres – but people sleeping in tiny rooms, two to a room, food provided centrally, they’re cheerful enough, apart from the Siren issue they have now but sorry, I can’t see that it’s any way to live. There’s no great smell, it’s extracted well, there are hydroponic gardens everywhere, there are entertainment points for those who want them, the food’s good, there’s an awful lot of sex going on.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘As with us?’ asked Jacinta.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘No,’ put in Dean, ‘just as you’d expect in any community, less cranked up. We’re not especially religious but we do accept a Deity. We know the enemy well. In fact, you might almost call our lives boring. The people are generally friendly, there are dangers -‘</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Ultimately though,’ said Amanda, ‘I wanted home.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-19" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘And you were inside a host,’ said Roland. ‘Are they like us?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Not a lot different, slightly broader foreheads, more sallow cheeks, not as physically thickset but quite strong. Not a lot to describe really, sorry to be disappointing.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You’re not, you’re reassuring. The little kids are sweet?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Sweet, monsters, all sorts, typical kids. Good parents, not so good. They’re just a civilitation, only much more cooped up. Do the math – 15,000 people on 75 acres.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘And are you changed?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’m sure all this does expand the mind. We do become brighter. They get colds too but if that happens, there’s instant quarantine, as you’d gather. I’m feeling less sniffly than usual.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘While you were there, who was in you here?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Jay’s actual lady from there, a human. It’s not as with Daniel and Jacinta – they’re more working partners. I knew fairly soon what Jay was looking for and I was happy to oblige.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Daniel and Jacinta have some R&R coming up,’ put in Freeman, ‘they’re going to visit the Scholars, as we call them, at the lake resort. They’ll be able to report at our next meeting, the more you know, the better. What I’m saying is you were not recruited, you five, to just do the mining and couriering, each of you has a special task we had in mind – you are not manipulated that way, we wanted to see if you gravitated the way you have. If not happy, there are dozens of other jobs, key jobs where you’d be of immense help.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: arial; font-weight: 700;">IV</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jacinta gazed out of the car window, nearing the retirement place, and reflected on their own quarters. The Center was stuck out in fields outside of town, rather than out in the desert with spinifex and all that and if they’d walked outside, they’d have found civilization within an hour, it was hardly hi-security in that sense.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This place they’d travelled to now was miles from anywhere, a clump of woods down by a lake, on about ten acres at the end of a twelve mile road, with nothing either side. Someone had had the idea, maybe twenty years ago, for just such a resort but it had never gone commercial.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She had to own, coming over the last rise on this brilliantly sunny day, rare for early spring, that it wasn’t a bad looking retirement place.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The driver, Charlie, dropped them at a cabin belonging to a happy enough couple, Evan and Dara and they noticed that each cabin, though about the same size, had some small idiosyncratic design feature, quite clever and it did help. Each had gardens, trees, it was all quite civilized.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Each though was wooden, entirely wooden, including the roof.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Over coffee, Daniel and she learnt what fifteen years of ‘hosting’ does – the mind expands to a point, then plateaus, then slowly burns out. People retire before that happens. Looking about the front room where they were, there were the usual trinkets, pictures and photos on the wall and there was no rental payable, according to Dara.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They thanked their hosts, went out to the car and were dropped next at Aubrey and Sophia, some way down, who were a different matter, particularly Aubrey.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There was something in his manner not effusive, the first one they’d met like that, a bit withdrawn, the way he engaged Daniel’s eye was as if he wanted to say something but knew he must not … Daniel was expansive enough of mind by now to realize it, he could feel the man’s mood, which meant the other two could too.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He’d been at it eighteen years and it had aged him, early. Business shirt, greying hair – he was 51 but looked older, acted older. She was more youthful. He apparently loved his morning constitutional walks, she liked to knit, so who was the more youthful?</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Are you with guest?’ asked Jacinta, of Aubrey.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Aubrey isn’t, I still am,’ smiled Sophia pleasantly and Jacinta immediately thought ‘jailer’, which Daniel picked up on and thought Sophia must have too. He couldn’t pick up the thought but could the mood. Maybe it was also so for Sophia.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">What was clear was that if there was anything wrong at all – and there was no reason for it to be that they knew of – they’d learnt not to think about it, they’d learnt how to put it out of mind, so they could not be monitored that way. What they did was to engage in an emotion of some kind, any kind, usually lust and under cover of that, exchange messages.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The tea and club sandwiches were yummy enough, the view of the lake through that bay window with the chintz curtains to the sides was magnificent, Daniel wondered if Aubrey would ask him out for a canoe paddle but then realized he’d not be able to communicate anyway, he gave every impression of being watched.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Do come back and see us,’ urged the lovely Sophia, all smiles, and Jacinta had the presence of mind to distract her with a ruse. She fell on the way out, Sophia came to her aid, bent down to help, then suddenly realized, spun around and took her partner in again, Sophia’s smile quite out of place in the light of Jacinta having just fallen.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In short, no one was fooling anyone and it was not good.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">To cover it, Daniel and Jacinta resorted to the usual thoughts of sex for later and continued thinking only of that, all the way back in the car. They realized that much of the shock, the mood, had reached Sophia and supposedly therefore Dean also but seemingly not their thoughts. This part they were still not sure about but there’d been signs that at times, some things they’d said to Amanda’s ‘guest’ had not produced any reaction but when they’d thought nice things about her, prearranged, there’d been a response.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The journey back was uneventful, dusk was falling. Weren’t they meant to have visited The Scholars? It had not been explained – were those four The Scholars?</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Now they were on the backroads again and the lights of their facility could be seen in the distance, if they’d had any fear of a detour or something untoward, it did not eventuate.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They reached their gatehouse, were ushered through, went through the second, were dropped off at their quarters, went straight for their room and got down to the sex.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Dean Freeman had been about to go and see them, realized and let it go, with a chuckle. Ten hours without it, dear oh dear, thought Dean, however had they managed?</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When the lovemaking got to the main course, Jacinta above, he casually spread a slip of paper on his chest, she read it as far as possible without ‘noticing’, without breaking the mood as it were, she now said she wanted to lie down, they changed places, he handed her the paper, she read it, then ate it. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After an hour, they called it a night, cuddled up, thinking of nothing but each other and that was that, she dropped off first in his arms.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">V</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Roland? Sue? You ready?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Their first trip, they were in the comfortable non-threatening armchairs in the smaller suite beside the main computer room, no nasty straps nor metal cages, no horrible helmets with wires.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There certainly were earphone headsets but thankfully no mood music.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘How long’s the journey?’ asked Roland – a late stage to ask such a thing.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Meaningless,’ said Dean. ‘Fraction of a fraction of a second, actually some minutes in your terms.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘And this host is ready … and she’s a woman?’ added Sue.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Why do people ask inane questions or those which should have been asked long ago? Then again, if Dean Freeman had left it this late himself to inform them, then perhaps their concern was legit.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Just as yours is.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Where’s mine go, the one in me now?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Home to the lady in the chair on Zoe, just as you are here.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Tell us what to expect,’ asked Roland, ‘any rush, any short pain?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘There’s a hollowness, you can feel the travel. At the other end, you feel yourself settle inside and around your host, your host then speaks as you or as him or herself. But he or she is in control – you have no bodily needs of your own, no fears, no joy – you yourself are pure reasoning mind. You’ve a set tour of duty, then you return, as you know.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘And you’ve done 29 days of this?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’ve built up to it by degrees, this will be my 81st time next week.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Well, that’s reassuring at least. All right, let’s do it.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There was a nothingness, that was the only way she could describe it. To be fair, there was no pain, no bodily sensation … no mood and that was probably good, but it was still weird to know you’re travelling and not actually feeling anything.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She felt they were there now but nothing had happened, there was no eye-opening or hearing, there was nothing. She had no way of knowing where she was, where Roland was, she was pretty sure she was not within her host yet and now she reasoned that if she … they … were stuck someplace, then reason told her there was no way out of this … ever.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There was no anxiety, there couldn’t be, just the knowledge that this may have gone wrong, might have been the greatest mistake of her life.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A voice suggested itself to her – that was the only way she could put it – a soft voice actually … her own:</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Welcome, Susan.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Not cold, not warm, not nice, not horrible. Nothing. But it was in English.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She waited and thought of Roland.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘He is safe, as you are. Why are you not in your host, you ask? It was not safe to put you into your host immediately.’ The voice did not tell her not to worry, as she couldn’t have. ‘You will work in ten minutes, a Zoessan four hours, as agreed.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It was clear Sue was thinking on this, as the voice then added, ‘I have said – your host is not ready. These things happen. When your host is ready, you will join her.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Slowly, she became conscious of Roland, so that was good, and now there were others. It felt as if they were in conference, various voices came through with questions, technical information, questions of temperature, of conditions, of timeframes of stability, they weren’t overwhelmed but did find themselves speeding up the responses.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The original voice cut in. ‘Do not rush – if a dozen questions come at you, then just as on earth, decide which first, prioritize, choose your own pace. At the end of four hours, I will tell them – enough – and you will rest.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: arial; font-weight: 700;">VI</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Daniel and Jacinta had been invited back to the Lake for lunch, so Dean had told them.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">What the slip of paper had told them was this – there was no way to disrupt mood monitoring but thought monitoring was almost impossible during the early days, provided they further cloaked it with some powerful mood – well they knew this. It was more difficult to cloak later, as they changed inside. Those monitoring could only do so within the range of what an AM radio signal would cover, so it was to their advantage to use hills and hollows – dangerous but possible. Not possible, each thought and then tried not to – if someone such as Charlie was in the front seat.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Aubrey had written that they’d be given a better, more technical way of cloaking today. He’d<span style="box-sizing: inherit;"> taken one hell of a risk, they did fear for him and weren’t sure this return visit was the wisest thing for his health.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They were dropped off at the top of the pathway leading down to the lake, having been given a collection time and down they carefully trod, towards the hut. The lake was a delight today, the waves barely lapping.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Stepping up to the porch, Daniel knocked, stepped back and they waited. There were noises and it was Sophia who opened the door. Her face was ashen.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You’re too late.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They looked at each other, back at Sophia, then through the door, across at Aubrey – he was seated in his favourite armchair, his eyes staring up at the ceiling, there was no life in him. They wondered why she had not closed his eyelids.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">All sorts of apologies followed, condolences and so on as they backed out of the door, the door closed behind them, they stumbled back down the steps, then Daniel nodded for them to walk by the lake.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The realization dawned in each that they’d have to get some masking going here so they could discuss it and even that was a huge risk, any mood involving sex was going to look appallingly callous, even to someone as nefarious as Sophia . Also, how would that go down back at the Center?</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As they walked the lakeside brick path, the venue slowly came into view – it was so blindingly obvious where they’d have to go. It was a clearing, the edges under overhanging trees which she knew to be Aspen, or populus tremula, there were neither conifers nor willows about. She’d noticed that last time but now she looked about and reasoned – they must have been planted here some twenty years or so ago.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Yes, the clearing was the obvious place, they looked at each other, actually sighed and got down to the undressing. Soon they were at it and spoke. ‘Daniel,’ she whispered, though not unmoved by what had just happened, ‘think, think where he could have left it? He must have thought this through, must have known we’d go for this walk – by the way, keep moving, we need to prolong this – well, you know what I mean.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Then she saw it. Now looking towards the overhanding foliage, there on the underside of a branch were two carved in numbers. She whispered the numbers, telling him not to lookup. ‘I think they’re coordinates, how do coordinates work?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He took a quick look around the clearing, which was roughly rectangular. He didn’t know why but it seemed obvious – if they divided the width by ten, it was roughly ten paces. Latitude or northings would be maybe 15-17. But her numbers had been 3 and 7 and that, in his view, marked a spot by a fallen tree over there.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Now he kissed her with a final burst of passion, then whispered, ‘We need to dress and go out of this clearing, past that fallen tree.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They cleaned up and dressed, knowing they’d now lose the mood masking but it was clear what he was going to do. As they went past the end of the fallen tree, he saw the empty knot hole and stepped over to it, drawing a note out of the hole and this time they read it together, thinking lustful thoughts of one another.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Interesting then that it began with a biblical quote or rather, a reference:</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><em style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Job 21:27’</span></em></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Where were they going to find a bible, except online – that most likely giving them away? Perhaps this had been Aubrey’s intention.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The next bit said:</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><em style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’ve discovered a way to intercept messages between my wife and Zoe base, undetected. This includes signal and protocol decryption. She is possessed, so are many on Zoe base. Don’t know who has gone under, I hope you two can learn to tell. Can’t teach you the way, too complex.’</span></em></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Uh-huh, it went on:</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><em style="box-sizing: inherit;">‘What you can do is buy a signal emitter.’ </em>He named a store between the retirement village and Center.<em style="box-sizing: inherit;"> ‘Any emitter, even morse code, not necessary that anyone receives, better they don’t, any guff will do. Masks thought reading which will start becoming possible with you two. Good luck. Bless.’</em></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He wrote on the back, ‘If our car had an accident in the town -’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She took the pen and wrote: ‘Not going back? Daunting.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Now he wrote: ‘You see any other way?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She took the pen again: ‘Not really. You want me for life?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Was there any doubt?’ he wrote.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘It’s just us now, Daniel.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes it is.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: arial; font-weight: 700;">VII</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In their quarters, lying on the bed, Amanda said to Jay. ‘You’re unsure about something.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘They’re suspicious, those two, they’re frightened.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Daniel and Jacinta?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes. I think it has something to do with one of our retired people, Aubrey – they visited twice. He was not at one with us at the end.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Then why let them visit?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘They both needed to see things for themselves, we need that input, that ability to discern, it has to be learned, we have to allow it. This is for the security of Zoe and ultimately, all who are here. My feeling when they arrived was that he was actually asleep, which they interpreted wrongly. Sophia needed to explain things to them, that she didn’t is a worry for me, it is for all of us.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Enemy?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Correct. She may have been taken over by a Siren, temporarily, more permanently, can’t know. We’ve had an unusual situation on Zoe in the past few earth days – these Sirens can appear and disappear, they can enter hosts that we were preparing. Roland and Jane are currently in suspension, nothing bad, nothing good as they can’t feel. They just are. They’ve been working though, quite well by all accounts but the hosts themselves – one is dead, the other has had cold feet and is showing signs of slow takeover by a Siren.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Well, get another host.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We will, we have a list but it does take time and we are under attack, it’s a situation we’re struggling with, barely coping.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Why did you let Roland and Jane go?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Because the Zoessi who do the transfers said they had the situation under control.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘So one of them might be a Siren.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’d say there’s a good chance, though the Zoessi have the capacity to throw them out after their first rush.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘And if Daniel and Jacinta can do this now – switch off, what then? What does it actually switch off?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Everything – moods, thoughts, actions. They may well feel we’re the enemy now, even you – that you’ve been taken over as you have, as I have, so they’ll not communicate with us and they’d not be wrong to do so – that’s the problem. They really don’t know who’s good and who’s bad. I can’t blame them.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Could I go?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We don’t know where they are. We know they’re with Charlie but we’re not getting read-back on where that is. Simple, basic data is deteriorating by the day and hour. We’ll probably have to shut down the pathway for now but those two would still have to come in to send their mind-visitors home. It’s not all about Jay and Jacinta, it’s Zoe base, it’s the pathway itself – hope they realize this.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Tell me about these Sirens if you can. If you don’t want, I’ll understand.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Humans have always wondered if there are other dimensions, time warps, tears in the fabric and so on but one of our forbears made a discovery as a result of one of these Sirens whom he succumbed to, sadly, but he did get a message out. The thing which happened to him, under control, was that his perceptions changed.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Think of it this way – we have five primary senses and many consider we have others. Now imagine if our senses had been, say, factory-set, that is – we can only ever perceive a certain amount. It doesn’t mean everything else does not exist, it just means we can’t see it. I had a friend for whom – if he couldn’t read it by one of his five senses, then it didn’t exist.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘But that’s insane.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">On earth, they’re called ‘rational people’. The Sirens, in taking over so many humans over time, expanded human consciousness, enough for various humans to perceive them and in that very perception lay the danger. The Sirens have no power over those who cannot perceive them – only over those who can.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This whole mind/body pathway we use does expand consciousness and that’s where the danger is. At the moment, it’s Sirens, but with time, it could be any of a number of horrible entities it’s best not to know about. Someone once said humans should not dabble – those were wise words. Don’t dabble, don’t invoke.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">But they want you to invoke them, don’t they? They can always perceive you, for the very simple reason that they have broader perception than humans, but the laws of physics in the wider universe – that is, outside human perception – are a bit different to those within. Human perception was designed to be what it is.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘But humans have always had that exploring urge,’ she said.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes and it was always a question of time. Eden, Noah, Babel – these are allegories for this process.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘So where does that leave us?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘In trouble, unless we can get Daniel and Jacinta in before the Sirens get to them.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: arial; font-weight: 700;">VIII</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They saw the woman and the timing was perfect.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Charles, their driver, had to slow to a crawl here, they were acting nonchalantly but that woman had just put her shopping in the back of the wagon and would probably close the hatch. Jacinta pushed Charles with all she had, holding the wheel over, the car hit the kerb and the lightpole stopped it, they were out and into the back of that wagon, the woman started shouting at them but they begged her to drive, Jacinta put on her most imploring look and the bank notes did the rest, she pulled out and Jacinta begged her to go fast, it was life and death, they were going to have to jump out soon anyway, they needed another similar situation, similar car, could the lady please look out for one.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Once she understood she would be both rid of them and considerably better off than earlier, she did search and quickly saw the next one, she pulled up quickly, she ran over to the other woman, said these two would pay, Jacinta put on the forlorn and flashed the notes, explaining that this was life or death, off both cars went in different directions, one with them in the back, which was just as well because Charles’s car cut off the first lady and the last they saw, an animated conversation was taking place, with her trying to delay him.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">On the back bench, Jacinta was on the passenger side. ‘Lady, my name,’ and she showed her badge, Jay followed suit. ‘We’re not terrorists, we’re not anything but ordinary but we have criminals after us and we have to hide, our lives do depend on this now and we’re in your hands.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They’d got the right woman this time, a feisty gal who did not appear to have family to go to. ‘You gonna tell me?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We are but out of sight first – you know anywhere?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I know just the place.’ She was pulling into a driveway.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘No, they’ll trace your car, they’ll make the first lady talk, she’ll describe you.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Have faith.’ She called on her mobile.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Another lady, a girl came out, obviously a friend and not of this country, their driver explained all, said it was kosher, the friend was reassured – Daniel was a choirboy and Jacinta – well, butter would not have melted, the girl now climbed into the front and they talked it out as they drove slowly, thinking.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Turns out the driver was named Simone and the foreign girl was Antal, from Hungary. Ah, they understood, Simone had taken pity on her.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They pulled up in a back lane, the fair-haired, tallish Simone undid the lock and beckoned them through, then through the backdoor. It was a terraced house and the question was the neighbours.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jacinta called for a pen and paper, they were brought and she wrote it all on the paper – why they could not afford to think, who they were, why they’d run, she now produced the same bank notes for Antal and continued writing. Would the girls help out?</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Would they ever.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Daniel asked about the house. Antal’s bestie, away in Mauritius, Antal watered the plants. Neighbours only came back in the evening, no activity after 9 or before 4. There were tins of food for now and Simone would get fresh food to them tomorrow. Antal would remain with them.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Thank you so, so much.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: arial; font-weight: 700;">IX</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Dean Freeman swore. He saw it all now, how scared they really were and yet it had not shown up on the monitor – they were out there somewhere, sentient and alive, they’d obviously had help escaping. He wanted to say, ‘Whoever or whatever we are, these Sirens are a hundred times worse,’ but realised he couldn’t. But he was 100% right about the Sirens – once they were down this pathway, there was no putting them back in the bottle.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He wanted to explain that yes, all right, they had not come altogether clean, the Zoessi, they were ripping earth off financially but he’d also be right in saying that this was a drop in the ocean for earth, life and death for Zoe. The Zoessi had no really bad habits, he wanted to explain, beyond human habits, they did not eat their young or anything like that, they did not experiment on humans, he had not lied as far as that went.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They were miners, salvage crews, that was their livelihood. That’s all they’d ever been. And Jacinta and Daniel were now threatening their very existence. If he couldn’t get them in voluntarily, then for the sake of Zoe, he would have to make a decision.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: arial; font-weight: 700;">X</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’m uneasy,’ said Jacinta. I get vibes from the Center, from Dean, and he’s terrified, but what of? That we’re going to block him? You wouldn’t be terrified of that, you’d be angry, haughty, all of those things. And as I’m saying this openly, he knows too and is now feeling hope. I think we need to at least talk to him without him able to track us. And he’s agreeing.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘How to contact him? Phone? We can get Simone to buy one tomorrow, use it as a one off. Anyway, I don’t know his number.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I do. We’ll do it.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Antal had been observing, she now offered her mobile. ‘Would this help?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘But it can be traced to you.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘No. It was given to me by a friend of Simone in the south.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I see,’ said Jacinta. ‘Yes, it will do fine but we can’t phone till tomorrow, away from here. Dean is agreeing, he feels a whole lot better now. Yes, it’s the right thing to do.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I think we owe it to Antal to explain the Sirens.’ Antal looked over expectantly.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Antal,’ started Daniel, ‘there are these creatures, they have no form, they appear and float into people, they -’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I know this.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You know this?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Where do you think I come from?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They told what they knew, she added what she knew. The house they were in was gloomy too, that did not help. Antal was no fool, she also knew they would need to do certain things together, it could not be at night when she was there, therefore it would be now. She announced she would meet Simone and get food.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: arial; font-weight: 700;">XI</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They’d slept all right, no nightmares, no trauma, the mood was good.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Simone had turned up and she and Antal had done scrambled eggs, with herbs, along with other goodies, it was nice. Around eleven, they’d walk into town, find an open place and phone.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In the meantime, Antal regaled them with tales of old Hungary – of the 1285 Mongol return and Bela’s fortifications, of the Árpádian kings, of Transylvania and the Carpathians – quite a storyteller was Antal.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She was still chatting about it all as they locked up and went uptown, delighted no doubt to find a patient and willing audience for once. They had to decide where to stand and Antal suggested a place in the memorial part of a square which had three roads coming off it. In the middle was a grey/green gunmetal statue of seven fierce warriors they knew not of and there was a fountain either side. She loved this place above all and she’d explain why later.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Dean Freeman was on standby at the Center, he had been since 10.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Antal handed over her phone, Jacinta called, he picked up immediately, pleasantries were exchanged, it was down to business.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes, it’s true,’ he admitted, ‘we were monitoring you, we must do this, yes we can read minds later as you expand, moods at all times, yes we have issues on Zoe with Roland and Jane there, the issue is the Sirens have got through.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘How did you blow up that ‘moon’?</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘The ‘moon’? That was the missiles we stole in our last operation. We’re space pirates if you like, our people are, it’s a rough game but that is nothing, nothing,’ his anxiety was building again, ‘to what would happen should one of those Sirens get to you and you’re helping them by going offline.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You lied to us,’ Jacinta was reproachful, ‘to us all.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes, we had to, but -’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘How can we be sure now that anything you say, anything at all, is true?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Because it is.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The abruptness, the exasperation they felt in him, also the reasoning had them looking at one another. OK, they bought this but that still did not mean they were coming in, as it seemed there were more problems at the Center and with Zoe than they currently had where they were.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They felt him agreeing in principle but: ‘Please come in.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘For what, Dean? So that you can eliminate us? Blank our minds out?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We have shields on the building, we have shields on the equipment, we have them wherever we go, we have them on the pathway – the monitoring is also a protective device – it monitors them too, the Sirens, Jacinta and other beings as well. It’s all we have … and you out there have nothing, no protection whatever.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You can launch a mind attack on us right now.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We can, yes, but we won’t, have we ever shown any signs of that?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You’re being honest for once, Dean.’ She handed the mobile to Daniel because she’d just seen something.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We have to work out a compromise position,’ continued Dean, unaware he was now speaking with Daniel. ‘How many minutes on your mobile?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Plenty,’ said Daniel.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Suddenly there was a commotion at the Center and they felt Freeman’s heart rate jump, something was wrong, he snapped, ‘Have to go. Call again in two hours.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He looked at the phone, snapped it shut and gave it back to Antal.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jacinta though, now standing in front of them, looking over their shoulders, put out a frightened hand to his shoulder. ‘Look behind you, Daniel. L-l-look.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He turned and though it was broad daylight, in a public square, it was still chilling. Moving slowly through the plinth of the statue were four young women, they reappeared this side and Daniel felt that that had just been gratuitous, completely unnecessary – they could have walked around. They were just showing off.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Who’s the statue of, Antal?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She was now too frightened to speak, shaking her head slowly, then muttering, ‘Nem, kérem, nem, nem ebben az országban!’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘What’s she saying?’ he asked and Jacinta gave a rough translation: ‘No, no, not in this country. Antal, who is the statue of? Antal?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Ezek a hét vezér.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘She said they are the seven leaders but she means, I think, the seven Magyar chieftains who led their people to the Carpathian basin.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Ah, this does not sound excellent.’ He looked over at Antal who was as white as a sheet, repeating over and over, ‘Távozz, nem jött erre a helyre.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘What’s she saying?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘She’s telling them to begone. There’s also a name she says, I can’t pick it up, starts with S, think she means the fair-haired one, part of their legend.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘How do we get ourselves into these situations?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Don’t ask me, this whole thing looks … not good.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The four looked like they were straight out of the crypt, talk about goth, obviously not those ones who can’t stay in the light but not nice all the same. One, maybe the leader, was fair-haired and looked the least mangy of the four, she seemed the most dangerous all the same, the second had long, drak locks and was sullen, the third had long, matted hair, dirty and the last was the youngest, looking for all the world like some ancient victim of an outrage.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Two now just disappeared. The other two glided over to them and hell, they really were floating, hovering two yards before them. This was terrifying but also exciting – at close quarters, they had the perfect view of these creatures and they seemed so real, so human, the skin was not all that bad, not a bit like the monsters of legend but all the same, they were distinctly unhealthy and he for one did not fancy them getting any closer.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">One of them now disappeared. Then the other. The two ladies just stood there, not knowing what to do, the only thing he could think to say was, ‘Well at least they’ve gone.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes, they’ve gone,’ said Jacinta. ‘You like pizza, Antal?’ The girl nodded.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They went to Carlo’s about six shops away and ordered, then sat in the alcove, the waitress came over. When she’d gone, Jacinta asked, ‘You want to know a joke on my name?’ Jacinta Llaita. Sin ta later. Not a very good joke.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘It’s a great joke,’ he smiled. T<span color="initial" style="box-sizing: inherit;">he pizzas arrived, cut into eighths.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They were back at the house, all four, plus the two males that had to have been around somewhere, the two boyfriends – they’d arrived and had brought alcohol – what they were expecting, Daniel and Jacinta knew exactly but they also knew another thing – this was not the night for it, not the place. No way. It had foreboding writ large … a<span color="initial" style="box-sizing: inherit;">nd Dean had not phoned. </span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Interestingly, it was Antal who said it. ‘I don’t want. I sense danger.’ All knew to what she was referring, the boys hid their disappointment but also did not demur – they’d felt it too. Antal explained. ‘No one will leave here alive.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She looked across at Jacinta who was struggling, really struggling – the imperative was strong now in her, raging, and she was losing it. Antal walked over, touched her forehead and said, ‘No. This night is for bigger things.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Daniel suddenly asked the two boys – what are your names? They’d not been introduced in everything else which had been going on. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Előd,’ said one.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Kond,’ said the second. ‘Why do you ask, Árpád?’ at which Antal gave out a shriek and fell to the floor.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘And how could you interpret Antal this afternoon?’ Daniel asked Jacinta.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She was seriously nonplussed. ‘I … I don’t know.’ This cooled her ardour for a minute but then rekindled it … or seemed to. ‘We’re going to do this, we’re going to bring them out.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The weird part was that everyone there knew what was going to happen, they thought it through and surprisingly, it was the two boys who shook their heads. ‘No, this is bad craziness,’ said the one who’d called himself Előd. ‘Bad, bad. My children will be cursed forever.’ The one called Kond agreed.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jacinta though countermanded them. She stood. ‘Yes, we are doing this.’ With that she removed her clothing rapidly, the two boys made no attempt to avert their eyes, she then said, ‘You must want, only that – want.’ Suddenly the penny dropped, they climbed out of their clothes and moved towards each other, clasping arms, the three females opened their mouths and with a guttural sound came smoke from each mouth – near Jacinta, the smoke formed a shape and that shape was the fair-haired Siren, near Simone was long, drak locks, the sullen one, near Antal was long, matted hair, the dirty one and no sign of the fourth.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Then appeared out of Daniel’s mouth smoke which formed a warrior chief but not Árpád, Antal supplied the name – Ond – the smoke of the other two formed the warriors named but if they thought that was the end, now burst through the living room double door Amanda, in the form of the youngest siren, with Jay, in the form of Árpád, hot on her heels, out came actual swords from somewhere and the Sirens lay dead on the floor.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I think we’re in real rouble,’ said Daniel as they all looked this way and that. ‘No, I mean when the tenant returns and asks Antal what happened while she was away.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: arial; font-weight: 700;">XII</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Here I am, Dean.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes, Jacinta.’ He looked around at the others, quite forlorn. ‘We lost Roland and Sue in the sense that they are without hosts on Zoe and whether they can be found hosts – we do not know. Half the Zoessi are dead, the conduit is closed, and I am stuck here, as is Jay. We are nearing the end of our time. We can either make an attempt at the exchange, all four being alive … or we can open the conduit one last time and induce the Sirens – tens of thousands of them – to enter the conduit to attack someone formidable. That’s the theory, who will be formidable enough, hated enough by the Sirens and the rest of the creatures – that I don’t know.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I know,’ said Antal. ‘I know exactly.’ And suddenly, so did Dean.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Might be, could be, possible.’ Then: ‘Such a risk.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Would someone mind explaining?’ asked Amanda.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You explain, Jacinta,’ said Dean.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Er … right. Daniel, you remember the plinth, the statue in the square? You remember which human, not Gabriel, was atop?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Ahhh.’ It had dawned on all. ‘But that is suicide for you two.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We know,’ put in Jay. ‘Each for our own reason, Dean and I.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘When?’ asked Jacinta.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘No time like the present. We would need, the two of us, to open the portal at this end as if to return, maybe controlled by Amanda, who knows how to do it, we’d need that personage to appear – if he didn’t, then the world here would not be in a great state soon after.’ </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Said Dean: ‘Simplest way is a straight vote among the eleven here, including our tech people. The two choices are try for it … or not try at all.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">One of the tech people, Jane Carter, asked why the two could not just be returned, a straight exchange.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We’d never get there, we do know this. Even if we did, our shelf life is ended. Let us vote.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Foregone conclusion.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">All the farewells, all the explanations, all the regrets – they’d all been conveyed, the hugs, Dean and Jay were in the chairs.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘They know,’ said Dean, ‘at the other end, what to do, when to close it off. Won’t rid the universe of these pests but it will certainly set them back. It’s not just for Zoe … or for earth … it’s for everyone. What did your writer once write – it’s a far better thing I do now?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Somethng like that,’ said Daniel. ‘So all right. Massive thanks. Ready?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Each nodded when he was.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It began like something out of Revelation, with a hush for the space of however long. Slowly there was a build of activity, synapses, however, thought Jacinta, the tunnel was operating again and from the other end, something was pouring into the tunnel, millions it seemed, and at this end, just two Zoessi trying to get home.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Now the horde, the host, were almost upon them, all the humans shrank back to the walls … something had entered the tunnel and suddenly Amanda shut the portal, which at the same time raised questions about who she really was, inside.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They all had the feeling it was over.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Appearing, as if from nowhere, a massive figure in garb of days gone by first bowed to all, then laid on the table first a two-barred cross, then his crown, he smiled a becoming smile … and disappeared.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Dean and Jay were alive, so much so that they called everyone around to them: ‘Take a chair, people, come on, haven’t got all day,’ said Dean, ‘we need to discuss the Center, the assets, the work, we have much to get through. Anyone need coffee?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We’ll get it,’ said Amanda and Jay.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">………..</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">12,063</span></p>James Highamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14525082702330365464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2699251666835350287.post-76070578201833422312009-05-18T13:13:00.007+00:002022-06-25T13:42:12.015+00:00The fallen woman of Modica<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZyLxRyHedo-JagtKwa-nJyDG3cwVMsjWNuDfokVrFXKN2dwwkIe5F4Ju0LfEsRivjOulFPeAUY7DJOptgZconM3TrbR3uP8IQFEEaesPZE9QcH-bcudZCHWtnAdJYVHC0wwYanuxz7h4/s401/hotel-palazzo-failla-small.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZyLxRyHedo-JagtKwa-nJyDG3cwVMsjWNuDfokVrFXKN2dwwkIe5F4Ju0LfEsRivjOulFPeAUY7DJOptgZconM3TrbR3uP8IQFEEaesPZE9QcH-bcudZCHWtnAdJYVHC0wwYanuxz7h4/s16000/hotel-palazzo-failla-small.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: arial;">[Hotel Palazzo Failla]</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">With nightfall had come the welcome drop in temperature. </span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Another scorcher today – they’d been here three days now – a phone call to the proprietors of the hotel down the hill had confirmed that the electronic board in Piazza Garibaldi near the hotel had registered 41 degrees at 10 a.m., a mindboggling temperature for many in cooler climes but their own thermometer now had it down to a tolerable 29 degrees, early evening, which had people opening shutters and venturing outdoors, doing what needed doing.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">On the second day, Robyn and Tom had met up with a former employee of the hotel, actually studying English with hopes of working in England, so that explained that. Giuliana was still welcome around the place it seemed, did some waitressing in fact, much banter and repartee going on with staff. </span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-0" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Upshot was that she’d scribbled out a list of hotel staff, guests for the conference and had dropped it off by car last evening – her shiny new Rav4.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Tom and Robyn had gone through it all today, stuck in their ‘Cava’ set in the rock some distance up the hill from Hotel Palazzo Failla, working out possible allies, partners, ways they could approach the workshops, getting the game plan sorted … this was Giuliana’s list:</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hotel staff</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Signóre Failla, 57, Modica, Sicily, proprietor<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Signóra Failla, 42, Modica, Sicily, proprietor<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Vittoria Scirpa, 26, Scicli, Sicily, front desk<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Francesco Giavatto, 27, Modica, Sicily, waiter<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Tommaso Scirpa, 25, Cava d’Ispica, Sicily, waiter<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Claudia Gintoli, 21, Modica, Sicily, chambermaid<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Francesca Vindigni, 19, Modica, Sicily, chambermaid<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Eleonora Iacono, 19, Modica, Sicily, chambermaid<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Giuliana Licitra, 29, Frigintino, Sicily, former employee</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">IT delegates</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Giovanni Criscione, 29, Milano, Italy, venture capital<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Arturo Alecci, 29, Scicli, Sicily, freelance, venture capital<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Massimiliano Pace, 37, Donnalucata, Sicily, Impada, systems expertise<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Johannes Ilkka, 54, Helsinki, Suomi, Sitra, venture capital<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Aino Ilkka, 27, Kerkola, Suomi, Tekes, programme co-designer<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Ilmari Jokipii, 26, Helsinki, Suomi, Tekes, systems expertise<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Jaakko Perttula, 26, Helsinki, Suomi, Tekes, systems expertise.<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Yuri Federov, 41, St. Petersburg, Russia, Lukoil, venture capital<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Natalia Beria, 38, Smolensk, Russia, Gotek, systems expertise<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Marcel Dumont, 34, Orly, France, Techniques, systems expertise<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Cédric Ratouis, 29, Iles de Paris, programme co-designer<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Isabelle Ratouis, 27, Iles de Paris, systems expertise<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Christa von Sievers, 51, Kempten, Bavaria, security issues<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Tom Everard, 43, Tarporley, UK, Innovative Technologies, security packages<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Robyn Young, 31, Tarporley, UK, Innovative Technologies, security packages<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Vaclav Chmyz, 41, Warsaw, Polska, Juri Micha, venture capital<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Paul Fox, 43, Auckland, New Zealand, venture capital<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Maaka Rawiri, 28, Auckland, New Zealand, systems expertise<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Salimah Rafa, 21, Tunisia, listed as IT expert but does not appear to be</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-1" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Phew – how the heck were they going to remember all those … and yet it was vital they did know who was who, they had till tomorrow, August 15th, yet they were due at a concert at the hotel in a short while this evening – they read the other notes about the area, about Sicily, about Italy, about the people running the conference.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In a nutshell, there were sensitivities between the north and south of Italia and Sicilia and as there was a fair amount of capital ‘floating around in pockets’ in Sicilia, still untapped, then Massimiliano Pace of Donnalucata, Sicily, through company Impada, together with Giovanni Criscione, of Milano and Arturo Alecci of Scicli, had got it into their heads to advertise, through journals and social media, a tech conference where expertise could meet capital.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Almost every start-up in the field in Europe and beyond had applied and various venture capital providers had also been sniffing about, fronting for other names on the whole. The idea was a mover if they could cut the participants to manageable levels.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Robyn knew Modica through travel and having had her Sicilian fling last year with Francesco Giavatto who waited at this particular hotel, she’d already described it to Tom, had drawn a rough map from memory. She’d described the two of them last year sitting near chiesa di San Giovanni, looking out over the lights of the city below and admiring it all.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="rough-sketch-of-modica-alta" class="alignnone wp-image-102" data-attachment-id="102" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="rough-sketch-of-modica-alta" data-large-file="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/rough-sketch-of-modica-alta.jpg?w=397" data-medium-file="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/rough-sketch-of-modica-alta.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/rough-sketch-of-modica-alta.jpg" data-orig-size="397,297" data-permalink="https://jameshigham.wordpress.com/2016/07/30/the-fallen-woman-of-modica/rough-sketch-of-modica-alta/" height="300" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" src="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/rough-sketch-of-modica-alta.jpg" srcset="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/rough-sketch-of-modica-alta.jpg 397w, https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/rough-sketch-of-modica-alta.jpg?w=150&h=112 150w, https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/rough-sketch-of-modica-alta.jpg?w=300&h=224 300w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="401" /></span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-2" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As she’d explained, where they were now was Modica Alta, near the top of this vast rock, partly residential but still old world, the action centre though was down the hill in Modica Bassa, the touristy shopping area where the nightlife was. If they followed that road some way along, there was another road heading sharply left up another hill or rather further round this hill – too difficult to explain. Now on top of that hill was the real residential area La Sorda – the hospital, the supermarket, the pet shop – the things modern living demanded.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As this was summer and most residents had long left town if they could for the seaside, there were generally rooms available in the hotel but Giuliana had advised them to take this room in the Cava. </span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Robyn went through her notes and gave him the potted version – this city’s architecture, frankly, was living history, from the Chiaramonte influence to the Gothic, to the Spanish to the Arabic. To even the most culturally dulled brain, she added, the vibrancy of the past, the look of the whole area, meant it was a perfect place for a conference.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They could now hear the first strains of music and realized they’d not have a seat, they’d been warned half of Modica would turn out for this, it was a case of a quick scrub up and then head down Regina Margherite but they’d step carefully – it could not be walked down too quickly on account of the greasy black residue on the asphalt, plus the 1 in 4 drop, as they’d found to their cost the day before.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They eventually made it to the bottom, turned left at Palazzo Napolino and there they all were in front of them, the guests – seated al fresco on wooden chairs in the narrow Piazza, the night sky clear, the traffic having dissipated, stillness around except for the artists at the far end up on that platform, partially silhouetted by the glow of lights from the lower town.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-3" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Francesco saw them both, came through the crowd with a chair, followed by Giuliana with a chair, both in best maroon waiting and waitressing garb, there were hugs, Francesco’s chair was offered to Robyn, smiles all round, Giuliana did the same for Tom. Then they had to disappear.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Isn’t this lovely,’ whispered Tom, Robyn smiled.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Next thing they knew, Giuliana reappeared with a covered tray, covered presumably so other guests would not get ideas, she was beaming, she asked Robyn to pull the cloth back, there were two wines, unfortunately in plastic beakers but no matter and then came the almond impanatigghi and canoli but tastiest of all was Giuliana, thought Tom, as the eye contact had Robyn sighing.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Giuliana left quickly, offering morsels to other patrons along the way.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The programme which they’d now missed most of had come to its climax, the tenor Signóre Pietro de Luca began Nessun Dorma and the whole of the hilltop fell silent, apart from Signóre de Luca of course, a heady moment no one there was going to forget in a hurry. Really, it was one of those moments in life, couldn’t be replicated, no point trying.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The piece came to its crashing finale, rapturous applause erupted, Tom looked round at the standing multitude behind them wildly expressing their appreciation then, at almost the same moment, above the crowd, he caught the grotesque sight of a woman falling from an upstairs window, Signóre Failla also saw it, three waiters plus Giuliana were already heading in that direction.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Robyn saw just the last part of the fall, she assumed they’d take the body inside the northern entrance bar immediately, probably incurring the wrath of the carabinieri but stopping hysteria before it began. In this, Signóre Failla was standing on his intergenerational position in the community and when one of the local officers, a sallow youth, assisted him, it was not the onlookers’ business any more. Quite handy having them here but who wasn’t here this evening?</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-4" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Signóre Failla now appeared from a door further down, close to the stage, it was time for his speech to the dignitaries, to the performers, to the audience, his wife had begun speaking without him, demanding via her passion rather than her words that all fastened their eyes on her.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Now he gathered himself, moved to the podium to further applause, waited for his wife to finish, then made a most emotional speech which had the performers almost blushing, everything wound up most satisfactorily, guests were urged to remain and enjoy the wine and snacks, at which the extra waitresses for the evening sprang up, took a tray each, while Signóre Failla mingled with the throng, making small talk and graciously accepting accolades.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Francesco came over and nodded to him, the police would delay their official arrival for twenty minutes, which was about the time it would take for the wine and morsels to be finished up, the crowd slowly drifted their separate ways, some to Ristorante La Gazza Ladra but most homewards and forty minutes later saw a group of seven gathered in the luncheon bar, being addressed by Alberto Tasca, chief officer for the area.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In short, with Giuliana and the front-desk man translating when necessary, it seemed the poor woman, Aino Ilkka, a Finn of 27 years from the Kerkola area near Lapland and one of the delegates, had decided to remain in her room throughout the performance, pleading a headache, husband Johannes, 54, had been seated outside during the recital and the most curious aspect was his immediate lack of emotion upon hearing of her demise.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Tasca had the theme of the conference clear in his head within ten minutes – Arturo Alecci explained what the whole conference was about, though Tasca had heard bits and pieces of course.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-5" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">First cabs off the rank now for Tasca were Signóre Failla, Francesco, Tom, Giuliana translating – and Robyn.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Si, Tom had seen the woman falling first. Si, it was almost as if she were diving into a swimming pool, not falling but difficult to ascertain in a split second.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Signóre Failla confirmed that he’d seen the headfirst movement of the lady, the view then obscured by a large potted tree, one of many dotted about the outside of the building. Did she seem deceased already? He shrugged, ‘How can I know?’ to which Tom chipped in that she’d certainly not been flailing or anything like that.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And so it went on. Next up was Giuliana, and Tom’s ears pricked up – he wanted to know all about her and what was worse, she knew he did and went a little red, quickly glancing in his direction, then down.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Si, she was from Frigintini and helped out on occasions at the hotel, such events as this evening’s, for example. Si, she was a lady of leisure, aged 29 although she was studying for a degree in horticulture, from home. Plus English at a local college. Tasco knew of the Licitra family in the Frigintini area and could understand. Si, she’d learned English four years. No, she’d seen almost nothing except where the falling lady had disappeared behind the awning.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Tasco had of course picked up on the connection between Miss Licitra and the Englishman, who hadn’t sen it? – There might be something more there, there might not.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The waiters and waitresses were interviewed – no one had been upstairs via the staircase during the recital but si, there was a staff exit from the far end of the luncheon bar, which led upstairs to a toilet and no, it was not possible to access the guest chambers from there.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-6" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Signóre Ilkka came through with Giovanni and made it plain from the outset that he wanted this thing over and done with and would the inspector or whatever he called himself kindly get on with it?</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Giovanni winced, knowing from bitter experience how the Italian police could tie you up in red tape if you failed to respect their procedures and let them do it at their own pace. This man seemed to be heading for a fall, unless he knew something or somebody Giovanni wasn’t sure about.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Giuliana, the other staff and Tom finished up their coffees and the former now offered to drop the latter back at la Cava on the way home, as Robyn had agreed to stay on here with Francesco for some time. </span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">If he’d entertained any romantic ideas, they were soon dashed. Her car stopped at the top of the one way Corso Regina Margherite and it was an awkward moment. She was dog tired after tonight, he was tongue-tied but both knew they’d enjoyed this first day and they agreed lunch on the morrow.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Ciao, grazie,’ was said and each went home, which is exactly what had been arranged and said between Francesco and Robyn, she was dropped off at the Cava some hour or so later.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-7" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">II</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The word ‘conference’ did not accurately describe the get-together so much as ‘workshop’. It was a very hands-on affair, with the practical application and drawbacks at issue, annoying obstacles were being brainstormed over and into this came the slight form of Alberto Tasco, apologizing and wishing to speak with Signóre Everard e Signórina Young again.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They excused themselves and went to the guest bar where Giuliana was waiting, something which caused him to immediately redden, a point again not lost on anyone.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Signóre e Signórina,’ said Tasco, ‘I’d like you to cast your mind back to last night and describe again what you saw, not only at the scene of the tragedy but all the way along the side of the hotel. You see, both you and the young lady may have seen something else but not noticed it, you uhderstand.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Tom nodded and through Giuliana’s interpretation: ‘As you know, the left corner of the building was where it happened and you know, interestingly, the light was not on in that room or at least it didn’t appear to be. As we move to the right along the wall, the next part – I have no way of knowing where one room ends on that floor and another starts – it was also in darkness but as we approach the bar -’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Signóre, Signórina, may we go outside and can you demonstrate this to me?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They all went out to the piazza.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘From here to here, the other end of the bar, had a light on upstairs, the next part here also had, this central part so to speak, but from there to the end had not, nor down where the singing was. What think you, Robyn?’ She concurred. ‘Is it significant?’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-8" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Let me confirm – the room on the northern end, to the left here and behind the guests last night, from where the lady fell, did not have the room light on?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Correct.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘What would you say if I was to tell you that that is not the room of Signóra Ilkka but of Signóra Failla herself, whenever they stay at the hotel?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Extraordinary. Could you tell me where the dead lady’s room actually gave onto?’ Giuliana translated for Tasco.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Certainly, it was on the far side of the building, over the main corsa.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I see.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes,’ Tasco replied, this time in English, ‘why would she choose this window?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Or why would someone else have chosen this particular window?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The inspector looked at Everard. ‘I’m asking all guests to give small word portraits of the others; I’d appreciate if you’d now give yours, Signóre e Signórina. Start with the fellow conference delegates.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Well, they’d spent a day doing that and they suspected Giuliana had imparted that to Tasco. Robyn began.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Johannes and Aino Ilkka. He’s a hard man in the business mould, she was softer and younger, the two ideas not always necessarily going together but there was also something not quite right about her. I had no time to think much more about it -’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-9" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Did you intend to?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Well, yes. Quite apart from being an interesting field in itself, my work is in security programmes so yes, I intended to sum people up along the way.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Go on please.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Tom?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Well yes, there was some sort of coldness between them which didn’t seem to fit the idea of a newly married couple with one many years the junior of the other.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Signórina Licitra here is many years your junior.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘She is kind to us, we like her.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Giuliana showed nothing on her face, Robyn smiled, the Inspector asked Tom to continue. He passed it to Robyn.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Salimah Rafa is interesting. As an Arab and presumably a Muslim, her presence at the conference puzzles me but was at the insistence of Arturo.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘And what do you make of that?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’d hope Arturo doesn’t have plans of his own for the distribution and sale of the finished product.’ Tasco smiled at her remark. ‘She doesn’t seem attached to anyone and yet she’s pretty-pretty, in her early 20s. She couldn’t be orthodox I wouldn’t have thought, otherwise where is her man and why is she dressed almost provocatively, in Muslim terms?</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-10" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Paul Fox and Maaka Rawiri are the two New Zealanders. Not Maori, despite one of the names but can’t quite see why they’re at a European conference like this.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Potential antipodaean distributor of the product?’ put in Tom.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She continued. ‘Marcel Dumont from Paris, Cédric Ratouis and the beautiful woman with him, Isabelle whom I presume is his wife, plus Massimiliano Pace from Donnalucata – they all seem logical. All are involved in the IT field in industry, the former connected with the finance in Paris.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Yuri Federov is logical. Vaclav Chmyz, the Pole, is also. Johannes Ilkka is the money from up north and the other Finns, Ilmari Jokipii and Jaakko Perttula, are the expertise.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Who else?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Tom?’ She passed it over.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Christa von Sievers has reason to be here by virtue of her IT contribution but she also has an interesting association.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Si, we know of that,’ murmured Tasco. Giuliana looked from one to the other and determined to ask Tom later. ‘Grazie, Signóre Everard, Signórina Young e Signóra Licitra. And now perhaps, your views on the staff of this hotel.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Tom looked at Robyn, she indicated he do it. ‘I’ll give them but even then, there were all the guests to take into consideration, those at the concert I mean. Anyone could have walked in, hearing the singing all around Modica Alta, it was well advertised and any one of them could have been the one, should this have been a murder.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-11" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You were once a member of military intelligence, low level, were you not, Signóre?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Long ago, in a minor capacity, as you say.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You have a special reason, do you not, to keep an eye on Signóra von Sievers?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘If you know that already, also on Yuri Federov’s sidekick, Natalia Beria.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You’re being remarkably open, Signóre.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Always pays when it can be discovered by a bit of research anyway. No doubt you’re aware of one of my personal missions.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘As, no doubt, are they. Which is why your prints on the window sill from where Signóra Ilkka fell did not lead to a rash of questions from me. Any thoughts on Ilmari Jokipii or Jaakko Perttula, from Finland?</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Not particularly. Seem logical.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Thank you.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">III</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In the luncheon bar, Francesco was waiting, Robyn glanced at Tom, he smiled, it was pretty clear the way the land lay. They disappeared.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Giuliana went and brought back foccaccie and chicken salads. ‘Tom, you wish to go to Marina di Modica or Sampieri with me this afternoon? I have some free time.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-12" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Are you meeting up with your friends?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She smiled. ‘No, I’m showing you the sights.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’d love that, Giuliana, I’d really love it. Should I bring beach things?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Si and I’ll pack some things to eat.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Give me time to update myself on the morning’s doings upstairs and then I’ll join you. Where? At the car?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Si.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="the-guest-bar-small" class="alignnone wp-image-104" data-attachment-id="104" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="the-guest-bar-small" data-large-file="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-guest-bar-small.jpg?w=500" data-medium-file="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-guest-bar-small.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-guest-bar-small.jpg" data-orig-size="500,375" data-permalink="https://jameshigham.wordpress.com/2016/07/30/the-fallen-woman-of-modica/the-guest-bar-small/" height="301" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" src="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-guest-bar-small.jpg" srcset="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-guest-bar-small.jpg?w=401&h=301 401w, https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-guest-bar-small.jpg?w=150&h=113 150w, https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-guest-bar-small.jpg?w=300&h=225 300w, https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-guest-bar-small.jpg 500w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="401" /></span></p><h5 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; color: #1e1e1e; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">[The guest bar]</span></h5><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They all broke for the afternoon and he soon found himself in the silver Rav 4, being transported to Sampieri. Looking from the corner of his eye at the driver, he saw the typical dark-haired Italian with Sicilian overtones but her shyness did not seem to be what he’d heard about local denizens and even in his covert scrutiny, she went bright red and lost her English, so he swung over to very bad Italian which caused her to choke in turn and this was going to be a lovely day, thought Tom.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-13" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Francesco had done well, but his choice of car had Robyn intrigued. He might have gone for the Lambos or Ferraris but chose instead the Maserati, and not the Gran Cabrio either but <a href="http://www.maserati.co.uk/maserati/gb/en/models/ghibli" rel="noopener" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1ab106; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">the Ghibli</a>.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He was making quite a statement to his partners and clientele with this choice – he understood style and beauty but was almost disdainful at the same time about outlaying huge amounts on frivolous machinery and power he could never use – for him, the machinery had to fulfil a function … and do it well.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Robyn liked that and his lack of pretence beyond the car. He was almost a bridge between the Italian and the Anglo. That he was even giving her the time of day was beyond the call of business and frankly, she was flattered.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They did not go to Porzallo but to a little place further down the coast, where it may have been rockier but was less populated.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She herself was no slouch in the looks department but neither did she play the femme-fatale, she was a canny operator, was Robyn and if Tom had been asked, a thoroughly nice person. Why had they not … well?</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Why do any two people not? Circumstances. Mixing business with pleasure not good? Never got around to it? Too much good friends to ruin it? It wasn’t entirely off the drawing board but not for now.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">That afternoon, with the rocky beach under the umbrella, the cool temperature of the cafe off the arcade in the middle of the stonewalled building – it was a slow build with Francesco and she … well, she loved it.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-14" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="the-shoreline-sampieri-small" class="alignnone wp-image-105" data-attachment-id="105" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"4.3","credit":"","camera":"HP PhotoSmart R507 (V01.00)","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1216550984","copyright":"","focal_length":"5.8","iso":"8128","shutter_speed":"0.00065","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="the-shoreline-sampieri-small" data-large-file="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-shoreline-sampieri-small.jpg?w=500" data-medium-file="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-shoreline-sampieri-small.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-shoreline-sampieri-small.jpg" data-orig-size="500,366" data-permalink="https://jameshigham.wordpress.com/2016/07/30/the-fallen-woman-of-modica/the-shoreline-sampieri-small/" height="293" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" src="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-shoreline-sampieri-small.jpg" srcset="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-shoreline-sampieri-small.jpg?w=400&h=293 400w, https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-shoreline-sampieri-small.jpg?w=150&h=110 150w, https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-shoreline-sampieri-small.jpg?w=300&h=220 300w, https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-shoreline-sampieri-small.jpg 500w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="400" /></span></p><h5 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; color: #1e1e1e; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">[The shoreline not far from Sampieri]</span></h5><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hot.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">That’s what the beach was, packed with locals and tourists, the sea breeze and umbrella barely reducing the stifling heat and Tom’s whiteness, compared to Giuliana’s light-olive colouring, stood out embarrassingly.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">On the other hand, she hadn’t been out in the sun much herself either, tan lines clearly demarcated and as she handed him the impanate and he handed her the water, there clearly had to be something else to help this day along.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They found it in a walk over the rocky shore, all the way to the old brick factory, the abandoned but dominating feature of the shoreline. Her flat sandals, so beloved of Italian women, were a bit treacherous and at one point she slipped, he caught her and that was the first contact taken care of.</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-15" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">An awkward time now ensued when neither could think what to say, they were walking very close, hands occasionally brushing against the other’s, he crossed the line and took hers, her fingers immediately slipping inside his, in total silence.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Tomas,’ she then said in a slightly elevated voice, once they’d reached the wall, ‘we go over there.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘There’ took them inside the wall and he had no idea of the legality of the thing but as the gate had been unlocked, he reasoned it was all right. The shade afforded by the eaves of the brickworks proper was a welcome relief, they both turned at the same time and the inevitable happened.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Interestingly, though she’d allowed herself this far, now she was unsure and hung back and he flattered himself she still wanted … but just couldn’t.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">No matter, he thought, it could also have been that she’d realized the futility with one such as him or hadn’t liked what she’d found close up. They’d take it as it came. He ventured another kiss on spec, she allowed it and tried a couple of daring moves herself, then pulled back again. That at least confirmed something to him.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Well, all right, let’s move on.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She led through the gate first, he following, there was a soft ‘phut’ sound and he caught the bullet in the right arm, just below the shoulder, falling to the ground.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="fornace-penna-a-sampieri-welshcakes-small" class="alignnone wp-image-106" data-attachment-id="106" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"5.6","credit":"","camera":"KODAK DX6340 ZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1096193336","copyright":"","focal_length":"5.5999999046326","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0.0013333335518837","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="fornace-penna-a-sampieri-welshcakes-small" data-large-file="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/fornace-penna-a-sampieri-welshcakes-small.jpg?w=500" data-medium-file="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/fornace-penna-a-sampieri-welshcakes-small.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/fornace-penna-a-sampieri-welshcakes-small.jpg" data-orig-size="500,319" data-permalink="https://jameshigham.wordpress.com/2016/07/30/the-fallen-woman-of-modica/fornace-penna-a-sampieri-welshcakes-small/" height="256" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" src="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/fornace-penna-a-sampieri-welshcakes-small.jpg" srcset="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/fornace-penna-a-sampieri-welshcakes-small.jpg?w=401&h=256 401w, https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/fornace-penna-a-sampieri-welshcakes-small.jpg?w=150&h=96 150w, https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/fornace-penna-a-sampieri-welshcakes-small.jpg?w=300&h=191 300w, https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/fornace-penna-a-sampieri-welshcakes-small.jpg 500w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="401" /></span></p><h5 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; color: #1e1e1e; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Fornace Penna a Sampieri [<a href="http://sicilyscene.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1ab106; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Welshcakes</a>]</span></h5><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-16" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">IV</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In his hospital bed in la Sorda, Giuliana had been beside him for some time but his next visitor was Alberto Tasca. Tom smiled semi-apologetically as the inspector brought a chair over and sat down.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Tom and Giuliana assured the man – they’d seen no one suspicious but yes, Tom could speculate on who it might have been, it might be worth following up on the Germans and Russians.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Tasco thanked him and took his leave.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Twenty-five minutes later, of all people, the Pole Vaclav Chmyz appeared and immediately the communication barrier was the problem, though he knew some Italian.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Chmyz was clearly uneasy but as neither Giuliana nor Tom were making any moves to converse, the man decided to come out with it. He’d seen Natalia Beria at Sampieri. Had he told the inspector? Not yet.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The visit concluded soon after, with thanks for the information and Giuliana now stated the obvious: ‘There were many people at Sampieri yesterday, Tomas, including this man Chmyz himself. Everyone had to go somewhere to escape the heat and we have three main beaches. It might mean something but it might not.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Now she became uneasy. ‘Tomas, you know … back at the brick factory …’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘That’s your private reason, your lips were sweet, that’s all I know and all I want to know.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-17" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’d like to tell you, to explain to you. I can’t.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Then don’t,’ he smiled and she took his hand.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">V</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The conference was going ahead as per schedule but the security aspects had been left towards the end, for when Robyn and Tom could talk about them with the other security people.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Now, in an annoying development, just as he was being briefed, the inspector appeared and wanted to talk.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As Tom wasn’t altogether mobile in his condition, he’d taken an upstairs room for the remaining two days and this was the venue for the questioning. The inspector had brought Giuliana with him and she didn’t seem too put out by it.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Signóre Everard, why do you think Signóra Ilkka went out of that particular window? Why would either she or someone else wish the tragedy to be so visible?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘At first I thought it was to make a point to her husband for some reason known only to the two of them. It still might have been but there were anomalies. Why from the corner room, behind the audience, behind him even? The husband didn’t see it happen. It could have been that so close to the northern bar entrance, it would be taken care of very quickly.</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">One thing which puzzled me was this high dive – she landed head first. Now either that was to ensure instant death and no lingering pain or else, if it had been his doing, how had she taken that trajectory?</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-18" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I thought it through and it seems to me that that room was being used because it was only the window without security devices. Signóra Failla didn’t need such things and I speculate they weren’t covered by local planning laws. Therefore Aino did it herself and took a swan dive.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Tasco rubbed his chin and said, ‘Regulations cover all windows. That window did have security devices but they’d been disabled. Also, they’re not primarily to prevent people jumping out but to prevent undesirables getting in.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘So someone might have been trying to get in to rob Signóra Failla’s room, met Aino and threw her out.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Why was she in that room at that moment?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I don’t know, Inspector. You tell me and while you’re about it, you might tell me why anyone would want to break in at that moment, during a concert and with people milling around on the main street as well as in the piazza?’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Si, my thoughts also.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Let’s face it, anyone could have come in the door of the northern bar -’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘No, it was locked.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘The boys who got her inside the hotel did it very quickly.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Si, that is so.’</span></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘It’s complicated.’</span></p><p class="inline-ad-slot" data-adtags-visited="true" data-adtags-width="527" id="inline-ad-19" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; float: left; height: 0px; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; width: 527px;"></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘It is. Now, do you see any connection with the attack on you and that on Signóra Ilkka?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I think they might be separate, the reason for my own having already occurred to you.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">VI</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In the heat of Sicily, one got up early and prepared for the day long before 09:00 as a rule.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Tom had been awake since 04:30 and so heard the first staff arrive, heard the place being unlocked, the various machines turned on, the night porter departing, the girls who did breakfast and the rooms also arriving.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He’d ordered his breakfast for 07:30, half an hour away and thought about changing the time but didn’t. Usually the girl would leave it outside if a guest left the sign on the door handle but if not, she’d knock and bring it in. He had left the sign because he didn’t want complications with the management, so when the knock came and the door handle turned, he was annoyed.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It was Giuliana though, carrying the sign and his emotions went through so many changes, none of which were lost on her, he wished he was not such a wimp in love. She pulled the drapes, set the tray on the sidetable and then turned to him.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He was about to ask about the sign, decided against it and now there was an impasse. He couldn’t very well get out of bed undressed, as she could see [ahem]. W<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">alking over to the wardrobe, she saw the blue cotton robe, put down the sign, took the robe and passed it to him, he got up, put it on, walked up behind where she was dawdling, passed one arm round her, she spun round, savaged him, then ran from the room.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He sat at the low table and poured a coffee.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The instant the liquid came near his tongue, he suspected something, ran to the bathroom and swilled it out over and over and over, came back through and rang reception. Vittoria was on duty and he asked if Giuliana was nearby.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘One moment, please.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Si, Tomas?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Come upstairs now, something has happened.’ Click.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She knocked and came through. ‘Tomas,’ she said simply and he indicated for her to sit in the chair opposite his.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘The coffee is poisoned.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘No, no, it is not! It cannot be!’ She clearly thought he was accusing her.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’m not saying you did it but before we call anyone else, let’s try to think it through … together. Can anyone hear us from the corridor?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘One moment.’ She went and checked, came back but conceded that the hall carpet would hush footsteps. ‘Speak softly.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Exactly what happened downstairs, who prepared the breakfast, when did you take it, did you walk away for any time and come back? Think.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She lost colour in her face. ‘I prepared it myself and then brought it to you immediately. I was … pleased to see you again.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘There was no time before then when you put that breakfast tray down?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘No. But I did not prepare the coffee. That was done by To –’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She stopped and he supplied, ‘By Tommaso. Now look, Giuliana, when did you agree to work till today?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I don’t work. I’m just helping today because I wanted.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Bene. Could you do your own investigation down there? Slowly. First take Tommaso to one side and tell him what happened. If he’s guilty, you’ll see that quickly so don’t be in a closed place with him and don’t eat anything he prepares. If it looks as if he is as shocked as you, then put both your heads together and try to think who it was. Then go to the next person and do the same thing. Would you do that?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Certo.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Anything happens, run up here, call my name, I’ll hear and phone the Inspector.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She nodded and departed.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The waiting began. Tom felt the wardrobe was the best place to be, crouched down but first he lightly ran the shower, came back and got into position in the space under the hanging clothes.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It truly sounded stupid, the whole thing. This was a public place, with people coming and going, any sudden death here, especially now, would see the whole show stopped and everyone hauled down to the station or whatever they had. Goodbye conference. If there were people who needed him out of the way, they also needed something else as a result of the conference, so what would be the point?</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Unless of course that someone was nuts or vindictive or had some score to settle and that was the only important thing. And the only one he could think of in that category, vis-a-vis him, was Crista von Sievers.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Now however, it happened quickly, it was bizarre, someone had clearly come into the room, paused and then gone to the bathroom. Whoever it was now realized it was a trick and ran for the door, getting out just as the phone rang.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He climbed out and went to the phone, it was Giuliana and she wanted to come upstairs.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She knocked and entered, he got in first. ‘Tell me what happened down there.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I told Tommaso, he expressed shock but I’m not sure. He asked me who I thought had done it. I went back to Vittoria on the desk but she says she knew nothing of it.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He told her about events from a couple of minutes ago. They just looked at one another.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">VII</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The heat of the day was upon them, everyone had begun the last day of the conference, there was no outward drama but Tom and Giuliana now went to la Cava with the inspector, she taking up a place on the chaisse longue, he on the bed and the inspector on the hard chair, rubbing his chin in that characteristic manner of his.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘A woman’s footsteps in your room?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Too difficult to say but it seemed that way to me. Not a large woman because there were seven or eight steps. I’d imagine a man would have gone more swiftly or even Vittoria.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘It was a risk on that person’s part.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Giuliana went downstairs at the time, perhaps looking worried. That would have tipped off the downstairs person who was most likely waiting for some sign. He or she would assume that the poisoning had happened and that Giuliana did not want any scandal for the hotel. She’s known for being discreet -’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Except with you?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Oh, she’s quite discreet with me, Inspector. The soul of discretion. That someone tipped off the person upstairs and the one upstairs then came through to check, was puzzled by the shower being on and needed to get close enough to hear me. Then she or he got out of there just as the phone rang.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘It’s possible. It would be better, Signóre Everard, that you remain here until we investigate thoroughly and the signórina needs to remain here too. There is a second room, I notice, with a lock and one man will be posted through the night. He’ll bring food as you need. He’ll be here shortly and I’ll introduce you.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The signórina should call her home and explain; perhaps her father might like to come to make sure all is well but I would like that she stay here. Even home is not safe for her at this moment. Would you do this, Signórina? It is much to ask, we can arrange a second room.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She did not feel it was the time to speak of second rooms but she agreed to the arrangement.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A phone call was put through, all was explained, the inspector was put on the line, the father was indeed coming around, he handed back Giuliana’s phone and went to the door.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Twelve minutes later, the father knocked and came through with baskets of food, the introductions began all over again. After the food had been fridged, the inspector explained that though the father could speak by phone with his daughter at any time, night or day, he must not actually come to this address until she called for him.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The father checked her room, was satisfied, scrutinized Tom and was also satisfied – Giuliana must have extolled his virtues in that direction, it was known that a second officer would relieve the first at dusk, another at midnight, the names and numbers of both replacements were given, the father was satisfied, he and the Inspector departed.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Hungry?’ asked Tom.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’ll prepare it.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They had a lovely snack lunch, washed down by a drop or two of Cerasuolo di Vittoria, there was good conversation and the thing was done the Sicilian way, a great relief after the tension.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There was a call – the Inspector. She passed the phone to ‘Tomas’. ‘Si. Si. No, non è possibile! Ispettore, parlare con Giuliana favore.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She took the phone and almost comically repeated, ‘Si. Si. No, non è possibile! Quando? È viva? Sta bene? Beh, questo è un sollievo.’ Tom was alternately chagrined, now relieved. ‘Dov’è lei? Sì, naturalmente, ispettore, si chiederà le domande.’ She turned her eyes to the ceiling. Now she translated as he spoke. ‘She is at the hospital and then will go to a different safe place. Understood. Yes, a warning, as with Tomas, no plan to kill her, just to take them out of the conference perhaps? Si, si, l’ispettore chiederà le domande. Ciao per adesso.’ She clicked it shut. ‘How much did you get?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘All of it.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">With Giuliana’s things in her official room down the corridor, she came through to Tom and sat on the bed with him. It now really hit home that here they were and yet there was a barrier which only she could explain, a barrier she seemed stressed by, he took her hand and said, ‘I do not like that this is stressing you.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘If we start it, Tomas, we will not be able to stop.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘All right, then we won’t.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You accept this so easily. You go from here in three days. I want and yet I cannot.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Then we don’t. You must keep your promise to him.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Si.’ Then she suddenly looked at him. ‘Ah.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They heard the officer open the outer door and the sound of three voices, the inspector came to Tom’s room, knocked and was bidden enter.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Signóre Scirpa [Tommaso] e sua moglie [Vittoria] were together in it. The one upstairs was Natalia Beria. I still do not consider that it is safe and so this night will go ahead as planned. Tommaso is in custody and Signórina Beria is on her way to Catania.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Tom nodded but Giuliana was shocked to the core, not least at the personal danger there’d been to herself. Tom asked, ‘Was there a connection to the death of Signóra Ilkka?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We still cannot say. Again tell me, who took her into the northern bar?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Giuliana answered, ‘Tommaso and Francesco.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Signórina, Francesco Giavatto remained downstairs at the luncheon bar the whole time, apart from going to the toilet twice from that bar, which leads nowhere.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Signóra Ilkka was with the guests the whole time,’ Tom reminded him.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The inspector smiled at him. ‘It’s time now for you, yourself, Signóre, to tell us about your purpose here.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Giuliana started back but the inspector reassured her, ‘No, Signórina. Signóre Everard is not guilty in this matter.’ She relaxed but her nerves were still bad. Tom wanted this to end and the inspector, not an insensitive man, saw it and nodded again.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘All right, it’s like this, Inspector. The two people who came to this conference did not even bother to disguise their names. I have a friend who has lived in Modica a very long time, I made contact when we got here, she -’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘May I ask who this friend is, Signóre?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Her name is Simone Pierrine, she is a scholar and lover of all things Sicilian, she speaks, as far as I can tell, perfect Italian.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Inspector made no facial gesture. ‘I know of this lady,’ he said. ‘She helped clear up a little matter a year ago. Continue.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Whether the two people I’m referring to are victims of their own home propaganda and felt that no one else could know, I’m not sure but let me quote what Simone sent to me.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘An excellent piece of research by Benjamin B. Fischer: Beria is the name of the man who urged Stalin to execute 21,857 Polish prisoners at Katyn and two other execution sites, one at Mednoye (near the former city of Kalinin, now Tver’, in Russia) and the other near Kharkiv (formerly Kharkov), Ukraine.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This was complicated by the USSR’s disastrous 105-day war against Finland at the time, in 1939, and the NKVD dispatched one of its rising stars, Major Vassili Zarubin to take care of the job. The Poles were the intelligentsia and higher skilled people who could possibly have led a revolt against the oppressor.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They were initially put in camps at Kozelsk, Starobelsk, and Ostashkov, all three located on the grounds of former Orthodox monasteries converted into prisons, then transferred to the execution sites.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When the Nazis discovered mass graves in April, 1943, it was grand propaganda for Goebbels to use to divide the allies but the U.S.A. and Britain decided to cover up and whitewash the whole affair instead, for obvious reasons. Inspector, this woman, Natalia Beria, is of that family and determined to clear her family name.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘But of course,’ commented Tasco, ‘it is not the Russians themselves, post-communism who need to cover up. The crimes of Stalin and Voroshilov, Molotov, Mikoyan, Kalinin and Kaganovich are well and truly part of folk lore now, so who would still wish to see it remain secret?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Giuliana supplied it: ‘The Americans and the British.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Plus,’ added Tom, ‘some Polish communists who colluded, of which one is now staying at Hotel Failla. Let me continue the email:</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘At a Kremlin ceremony on October 13th, 1990, Gorbachev handed Jaruzelski a folder of documents that left no doubt about Soviet guilt. He did not, however, make a full and complete disclosure. Missing from the folder was the March 1940 NKVD execution order. Gorbachev laid all blame on Stalin’s secret police chief, Lavrenty Beria.’ ’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘And,’ the inspector added, ‘Signórina Beria has never forgiven this. Yuri Federov was in grave danger of his life and that was this lady’s focus – to destroy Russian interests at this conference. Signóre Everard, due to his long collusion with Russia as well, was equally damned in her eyes.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘The second person,’ Tom took up the tale again, ‘whom the inspector is well aware of, is mentioned in another article by Wulf Schwartzwaller, titled: ‘The Unknown Hitler’. I quote:</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘An SS occult research department, the Ahnernerbe (Ancestral Heritage) was established in 1935 with SS Colonel Wolfram von Sievers at its head. Occult research took SS researchers as far afield as Tibet. Sievers had the Tantrik prayer, the Bardo Thodol, read over his body after his execution at Nuremberg.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The granddaughter of that man is present in this delegation as well.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Giuliana was goggle-eyed. ‘All this has been happening in these past few days?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Yes, yes it has. Why she would wish to harm me is tangential. I publish many articles against the Bruderheist who are but one part of these people. Hardly anyone reads my work but They do and They’re not noted for their forgiveness.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Tasco added, ‘We’re reasonably convinced of the culpability of Christa von Sievers but we also feel there is one other. We feel that we might have missed something quite big in what has happened, quite an admission for a police officer but as long as we do get there in the end … well anyway, it almost seems as if this has been a play so far, of which the falling woman was merely the overture. We also think that the names Beria and von Sievers were too obvious, designed to get people like Signóre Everard thinking along these lines. Perhaps there is a greater plan afoot.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It was Tom’s turn to stop and think. ‘Money?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Si and in this charade of the past few days, although a painful charade for you, Signóre, and for Signórina Young, the net effect is that you have been removed from the deliberations at the conference.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘So that when we return, the security anomalies will already have been merged in with the programme and will just require my perusal and signing off. And all of this is with time short, the conference about to end, great pressure is brought to bear on us to just wave the thing through.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Quite possibly. The programme goes wrong when it is implemented, the funds are transferred and the blame falls on the security agency who signed it off, ruining that man forever.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Then we should be there now.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘No, Signóre. To do that would be actual death for you – these people are not playing games, they actually do plan to kill you, make no mistake about this. As for Signórina Young, we’re not so sure of that as yet.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">What I would suggest to you both is that you must not sign off on the programme until your people have had a good look at it. You are on firm ground here. Prevented from doing your job and close to the time when people have flights booked for their return, great pressure will be brought to bear on you, as you say, to sign off but everyone there knows, in his heart, that by any industry standards, you must not. By keeping you here tonight, quite safely, I might add, the one that we suspect – that person will be feeling quite nervous.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘How is Robyn?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Sleeping. Call her tomorrow morning.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Will you tell the nurse there to tell her that I’m thinking of her?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Certe, as I tell you now she also is thinking about you.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Good. Let’s have a wine. Would you like, Giuliana?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’ll get them.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Once she’d gone, the inspector moved closer and whispered, ‘Don’t drink your wine.’ Tom was appalled at the implication but still nodded.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Giuliana returned with a tray of eats and glasses of wine, all of which she now distributed. She lifted her glass but noticed the other two didn’t and asked, ‘What’s wrong?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The inspector took out three glass phials and one by one, poured the wine into them, pulling out post-it notes and labelling them as he went along. ‘My officer has the bottle, Signórina, an officer I can trust.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Giuliana started back again. ‘No, you cannot think … you cannot think that!’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You’re quite right, Signórina, I do not think that but the wine is poisoned, all the same.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Then you are accusing my Papa – he brought it.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Again, no, Signórina Licitra. We are accusing the person who changed the wine in the basket.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">At this, Giuliana clammed up and went into despair. Tasco made the right noises and took his leave but before he did: ‘Oh, the unopened Siracusa Eloro sitting on the benchtop in the kitchen is quite drinkable and the other foodstuffs brought by my officer should also see you alive tomorrow morning. Good night to you both.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She burst into tears, he did what was required. She sobbed, ‘Do you think … I want to … kill you?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Not in the least, Giuliana, not in the least, the inspector said that and I believe him. I know you’ve a secret you can’t tell me and though we both know it, I’ll wait for you to show me in your own way in the next two days, before we fly out.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It was 23:30, she kissed his cheek and took her leave, he heard her going down the corridor, he made ready, did what needed to be done and finally slipped into bed.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">At about 00:47, the door opened and a form in gown and slippers came through. She laid the gown over the chair and kicked off the slippers, climbing into bed beside him, lying on her back, looking up at the dimly illuminated ceiling.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘One day it might change,’ she said. ‘It might become different and it will not have to be like this.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I’m not so sure this is right now.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘It is not right, that is correct. I am so sorry.’ <span style="box-sizing: inherit;"> She got out, put on her gown and slippers and departed for the night.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">VIII</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">According to the inspector, nothing had been expected to change in the state of play overnight and it hadn’t.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Clearly, the big issue would be when Tom reviewed the programme with the group but at least all was known and anticipated.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When they walked into the conference room, he and the now sufficiently recovered and reunited Robyn, it was an artificial welcome from some, barely disguised annoyance from others and heartfelt warmth from the remainder.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It had taken them four hours to review the system, knowing immediately where certain tricks lay and suspecting where others might. They noted all their concerns on paper, then announced that it couldn’t be signed off, stating each concern aloud.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Two or three argued but one remained silent. It was put beyond doubt for that person when Tom announced:</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We have reason to think, the polizei and the two of us, that the moment this system is installed and goes into operation, vast sums of money are going to be illegally transferred into the wrong hands. One person in this room has hoodwinked you into allowing this to happen.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Do you know who this person is?’ asked Massimiliano Pace.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Si, we do, we very much do, also the police know this person’s identity and it is written in a file at the Questura. We also know that this person must act to force us to sign off before departure tomorrow or else eliminate us.’ There were gasps from many as the Inspector, who’d now entered the room, nodded.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘But what of this programme we’ve all worked on?’ asked Marcel Dumont.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘The essentials are sound, Monsieur but the programme must be rebuilt from just before we were taken out of the game, up to its current state. As you already have the basic blueprint in place, it would only take a security team, comprising one from each of our nations, to review it in another place, let’s say in Paris, thoroughly, the process being completed within two months, and all will be well.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">That team will then sign it off and everyone will be happy, except for certain people in this room now and those they represent. And remember, this person or these people must act before the flight tomorrow. Interesting, isn’t it?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I would not call it that,’ muttered Paul Fox.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Inspector took it up. ‘Do not go anywhere in pairs, unless married, keep an eye on the conference room, see that no one enters it, just as we will, lock your doors and windows tonight and stay alert.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Do not be fooled, even by your own partner, to allow him or her into this conference room. The person who goes into this room, for whatever reason, however innocent it might seem to you or to us, however many years you have known that person – that person, sadly, is a criminal. Now, Signore e signori, please vacate this room and allow the proprietor to lock it.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Does your own safety, that of your partner and that of your new girl not concern you, Herr Everard?’ asked Christa von Sievers.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Have you heard the expression ‘if you’re treading on thin ice, you might as well dance’, Fraulein?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Except that to tread softly and not to dance might keep you alive,’ she said evenly, looking straight into his eyes.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We must do as we must do, Gnädige Frau and you must do as you must do. Would that it were not so.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In dribs and drabs, they all departed and the room was locked. Last out were Tom, Robyn, Giuliana, now waylaid by Tasco.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘That was an interesting exchange just now, Signóre. I must tell you that it was no idle threat. Not the lady herself but another fully intends for you not to catch that flight and your partner will be coerced over the Tramamile matter.’ Robyn went as white as a sheet. ‘These people are not playing games, Signóre e Signórina. I must tell you that if they need to take us, the police, as well, then what is that to them? How much do you both know of Italia?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘We get the idea.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘It is going to take some extraordinary measures to keep you alive and it is not the place we give you as refuge which will keep you safe, it is whoever is your guard. Ensuring that that person has not been bought – it is the whole issue here. Are you both agreed you do not sign off this deal?’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Absolutely,’ said Robyn.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Then you, with your Francesco,’ she smiled at that, ‘and you with your Giuliana,’ Giuliana smiled here, ‘will go to an undisclosed place each, not together. You are now about to see an extraordinary scene, for four people not of, shall we say, film star or political rank. You will first be escorted and then you will have to be ready to change vehicles quickly. Are you prepared to do these things? You may not have any of your possessions for now, as that is a calling card.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Suppose so,’ said Tom.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Good, then we’ll begin. Let us visit Signóre e Signóra Failla.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Four police came up the stairs and surrounded the three, they collected Francesco downstairs, made their way through to the official area, the owners took them quickly through a back exit, outside of which were about a dozen police, about half of whom had weapons trained in different directions, there were two cars and they were asked to lie low, the man across the rear footwell, the lady across the back seat. Something heavy, some metal filled cloth of some kind, was placed across each of the ladies.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">IX</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They were in their respective places of concealment, each pair had had three changes of vehicle, they were hungry and Tom had two letters given to him on the third changeover.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He now opened the first – it was from Simone, he read it to Giuliana:</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘ ‘In January 1996, a book with the provocative title “The Katyn Crime Fiction”, written in Polish under the pseudonym “Juri Micha”, began circulating.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘Juri Micha is your Vaclav Chmyz’s company name. As for Aino – she’s a tragic character in Kalevala, a girl who drowns herself when forced to marry an old man. And Ilkka – the last name of peasant rebellion leader Jaakko Ilkka in the 1590s.’ ’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They looked at one another. He opened the second, from the Inspector, in Italian. He handed it to Giuliana. She translated:</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘ ‘We checked the whereabouts of Salimah Rafa during the concert, those with whom she stayed, her living status within Italy, where she was the morning of the poisoned coffee, also Vaclav Chmyz’s extra-curricular activities for the Russian communist party; we especially checked if Johannes Ilkka had any special security clearance in Italy and how he first met his wife, where they were married and so on.’ ’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They’d eaten, Giuliana and Tom, they had wines at hand, they were sitting on the bed, he asked about how she’d been allowed to do this, to come with him.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘My safety eclipses my virtue, although my virtue is fine, as you know. My family knows that. And yours seems the same when it comes to me, though not to others.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He spoke. ‘I hope your life together, you two, is all that you would wish. I’m sure it will be. I don’t wish to be the cause of anything which might prevent that.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She initially froze, then relaxed and said, ‘A lover needs to be bold, Tomas, he needs to be sure if he wants her or not, with no doubts. If he’s sure, he will make her, take her or fall in the trying. On the other hand, if he is not sure, if he is timid, if he thinks he might be doing wrong, he has no right to play with her, not even one kiss.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The silence could have been cut with a knife.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He cut it. ‘Giuliana, there’s bold and then there’s bold. In these past days, the crisis took its toll. We required boldness during that and we were bold. If anyone were to threaten you, I’d be bold and not stop until he was neutralized, I’ve done that before. Bold in love can also mean unfeeling, insensitive to the otehr person’s position. I was bold enough to go straight for you in the hotel and also to take the kiss at the brickworks. But when I could see in your body language that you loved another and what’s more, you had a conscience about it, then I felt it was wrong. Yet we continued, I allowed it to. My wrong. It’s best I go back to Britain tomorrow and that gives us both time to think, if you need it. Send me an email.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You do know I’m coming to Britain anyway, don’t you? I’ve booked a course three months from now and I’ll be in Cambridge for three weeks. You will give me one month now, no texts, no calls, no emails and I will think. Tomorrow, after they’ve gone, I want to take you to my home, introduce you to my family, to my … fiance. Look at me now with you – my fiance I say to you!’ </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She began to sob, he went to hold her and she said, ‘No.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘I shall sleep over here.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.o0o.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In the other safehouse, there was precious little conversation and thus nothing which could be reported in words.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It wasn’t that Robyn had surrendered but that she’d engineered from the get-go and when two people are both attempting to engineer something then, apart from the comical misunderstandings along the way, then it’s a pretty much foregone conclusion.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The wine bottles littered the room, the clothing had been flung.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">IX</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Came the morrow, they were collected remarkably late, given a 10.15 p.m. flight from Catania, Air Malta, and they were told, en route for the Hotel Failla, that the baddies had all either departed or were in custody, no bail having been requested at that price.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There was the little formality in the goodbyes and the explanations from Inspector Tasca were to begin. A light lunch had been had, coffees were now served. The Inspector cleared his throat and began:</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">‘You may already know much of this and thanks go to Signóra Pierrine for her most valuable research. Aino Ilkka is, of course, a made up name. This was a girl from the north of Finland who’d been that thing everyone denies [he coughed] controlled in the mind and sent, as ‘wife’ of Johannes Ilkkar, otherwise known as Veli Makela, key figure in the Finnish mafia, to seduce two key players, with a view to putting a few lines of code in which would divert funds to a Zurich account.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Something was not right with her programming, she reacted violently and ran up to the roof, followed by Tommaso and Vittoria Scirpa.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They tried to stop the woman leaping off the roof for fear of the repercussions which could have exposed them all but she did manage to dive, as if into a pool, Signóre Everard’s recollections were quite close to it.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">At this point, the brother and sister were innocent, at least of this death, they raced downstairs and together with Francesco Giavatto, managed to get her inside the northern bar and the area cleaned up very quickly.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The married couple were, in fact, bought off but it was felt unnecessary to approach Francesco, as he had not seen any of it, not enough to describe anyway. It was observed that there was a certain understanding between Signóre Francesco and Signórina Robyn and this was encouraged by little whispers into the ears of each from time to time.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Makela, the chief thinker behind it, now had to buy some expertise, as his own people were really Tekes and couldn’t be approached. He reasoned that von Sievers might be a likely starter, as well as Natalia Beria. In other words, he had dirt on them, as you say.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">They had their own agendas though and Beria was determined not to divert funds to Makela but to milk any Russian accounts linked to the programme. In this, she found an ally in Vaclav Chmyz who betrayed her later over the shooting at the beach. She’d bought, with Chmyz’s money, both Arturo Alecci and Salimah Rafa, an illegal immigrant, a former boat person … and some of the sexual antics in Scicli had the neighbours getting in touch with us. Alecci’s plan was to divert the funds from all the accounts linked to the programme to both Makela and himself.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Christa von Sievers was working independently for her backers, trying to divert funds to them. She also had another task to remove Tom Everard from the board, to prevent his scrutiny of the programme and as payback for the ‘silly’ articles he’d written, in their view.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It was Salimah Rafa who shot Signóre Everard at Sampieri and the presence of Natalia Beria there was that of observation of the couple. It was Signórina Beria who also later entered the Everard room and checked near the shower. She’d been phoned from downstairs by the poisoners, Tommaso and Vittoria Scirpa who, once they’d been bought, were now blackmailed and were getting deeper and deeper into it, as always happens with amateurs and not only amateurs.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Though Makela was the one coordinating the mayhem, it had been Alecci who had convinced him of the necessity of it. Salimah Rafa, now even more a pawn in the hands of these two unscrupulous men, had abandoned all her Muslim principles and was now just a dangerous and unprincipled tool.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hers was the task to kill Signóre Tom and if necessary, Signórina Giuliana, and it was now Francesca Vindigni’s task to kill Signóre Francesco and Signórina Robyn but of course, we got in the way of that. So the danger was not quite as bad as we had thought, there were not, as far as we know, professionals brought in.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There was an attempt on the conference room by Signóre Alecci, they’d falsified Signóre Tom’s digital signature and also that of Signóreina Robyn, but Alecci was apprehended by our officers. And that is about all there is to it. I’m sure that the Paris conference will go ahead and this time, better luck. Thank you all.’</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">X</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Francesco introduced Robyn to his family on via Resistenza Partigiana,</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">For the two of them, there’d been no reticence, arrangements had been made for him to travel to Britain in a few months, should they both still wish at that time. The question of where they lived was always going to be the sticking point, with both attached to family.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">But they had plenty of time.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="the-beer-garden-small" class="alignnone wp-image-107" data-attachment-id="107" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.6","credit":"","camera":"HP PhotoSmart R507 (V01.00)","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1216472020","copyright":"","focal_length":"5.8","iso":"12128","shutter_speed":"0.00219","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="the-beer-garden-small" data-large-file="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-beer-garden-small.jpg?w=500" data-medium-file="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-beer-garden-small.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-beer-garden-small.jpg" data-orig-size="500,406" data-permalink="https://jameshigham.wordpress.com/2016/07/30/the-fallen-woman-of-modica/the-beer-garden-small/" height="326" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" src="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-beer-garden-small.jpg" srcset="https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-beer-garden-small.jpg?w=401&h=326 401w, https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-beer-garden-small.jpg?w=150&h=122 150w, https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-beer-garden-small.jpg?w=300&h=244 300w, https://jameshigham.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/the-beer-garden-small.jpg 500w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="401" /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As for Tom and Giuliana, they were deposited in an open sort of beer garden, owned by the father, the whole family appeared, including the little sister who liked Signóre Tom, they ate and talked as best they could, his Italian had improved somewhat with the application of alcohol and soon it was time for the trip to Catania, courtesy Signóre Lecitra, the little sister insisting on going along for the ride.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And that was where a car pulled up and a young man of maybe 27/28 got out and came over, introductions were made, Tom felt a heel, the young man was a nice person. She went around and sat with him on the bench opposite, there was an easy familiarity between the two.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The father emerged from the buildings and it was time to go.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">………..</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e1e1e; margin: 0px 0px 24px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">10,792</span></p>James Highamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14525082702330365464noreply@blogger.com0